:ra 



£V 




Copyright N°__L^J » 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Ube IRural Science Series 

Edited by L. H. BAILEY 



SUBTROPICAL VEGETABLE-GARDENING 



Ctje <Eural Sctenre Scries 

Edited by L. H. Bailey 

The Soil. King. 

The Spraying of Plants. Lodeman. 

Milk and its Products. Wing. Enlarged and Revised. 

The Fertility of the Land. Roberts. 

The Principles of Fruit-growing. Bailey. 20th 

Edition, Revised. 
Bush-fruits. Card. 
Fertilizers. Voorhees. Revised. 
The Principles of Agriculture. Bailey. Revised. 
Irrigation and Drainage. King. 
The Farmstead. Roberts. 
Rural Wealth and Welfare. Fairchild. » 
The Principles of Vegetable-gardening. Bailey. 
Farm Poultry. Watson. Enlarged and Revised. 
The Feeding of Animals. Jordan. 
The Farmer's Business Handbook. Roberts. 
The Diseases of Animals. Mayo. 
The Horse. Roberts. 
How to Choose a Farm. Hunt. 
Forage Crops. Voorhees. 

Bacteria in Relation to Country Life. Lipman. 
The Nursery-book. Bailey. 
Plant-breeding. Bailey and Gilbert. Revised. 
The Forcing-book. Bailey. 
The Pruning-book. Bailey. 

Fruit-growing in Arid Regions. Paddock and Whipple." 
Rural Hygiene. Ogden. 
Dry-farming. Widtsoe. 
Law for the American Farmer. Green. 
Farm Boys and Girls. McKeever. 
The Training and Breaking of Horses. Harper. 
Sheep-farming in North America. Craig. 
Cooperation in Agriculture. Powell. 
The Farm Woodlot. Cheyney and Wentling. 
Household Insects. Herrick. 
Citrus Fruits. Coit. 

Principles of Rural Credits. Morman. 
Beekeeping. Phillips. 
Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening. Rolfs. *"' 



SUBTROPICAL 
VEGETABLE-GARDENING 



BY 

P. H. ROLFS 

n 

DIRECTOR OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION 
OF FLORIDA 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

1916 

All rights reserved 



£1332 

S 
."R6 



OOPTEIGHT, 1916, 

By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1916. 



NortoDorj $resss 

J. S. Cushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. 

Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 



/ 



vf0 



MAN -9 1316 
©CI.A427204 



PREFACE 

We may regard the successful growth of the orange 
tree as marking the outer limit of the subtropical re- 
gions, where frosts are of short duration and the year 
is divided into hot and cool seasons. The coconut 
palm marks the boundary of the outer tropical belt, 
which has also more or less distinct cool and hot sea- 
sons, but as a rule no frosts. The equatorial belt, on 
the other hand, has no distinct cool season. In the 
subtropical regions, tropical vegetables may be grown 
well in the hot season, and temperate vegetables, which 
can survive any slight frosts that may occur, can be 
very successfully raised in the cool season. In the 
outer tropical or trade-wind belts, some temperate vege- 
tables can be grown fairly well in the cool season. In 
the subtropical and especially in the tropical lands, an 
elevation of a few thousand feet produces a remarkable 
change in the climate ; and temperate vegetables can 
be cultivated at such a height even in the equatorial 
belt, and still more successfully towards the borders 
of the tropical belt. Thus the subtropical regions can 
grow at different times of the year and at different 
heights, nearly all the vegetables of the world. Except 
in North India, where numbers of Europeans have re- 
sided for a long time, and in certain subtropical coun- 
tries like peninsular Florida, it is probable that the 



vi Preface 

growing of temperate vegetables in the cool season has 
not been carried to the extent to which it is capable. 
With a sufficient demand, good crops of many of the 
improved temperate vegetables can be raised even in 
the intertropical regions, either in the lowlands in the 
cool season, or preferably at elevations of a few thou- 
sand feet. 

The directions in this book are based mainly on 
Florida practice, but the publications of the United 
States Experiment Stations, and of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, together with the horti- 
cultural literature of the tropical countries, have been 
laid under contribution. 

The fertilizer formulas given in the book are such 
as have been successful in certain cases, but must be 
regarded as tentative only. A vegetable-grower, by 
trying different mixtures on his own soil and crop, may 
improve the formulas which the experience of others 
gives him as a starting point. Exact or definite for- 
mulas are to be regarded only as guides or suggestions, 
and never as prescriptions. There is so much yet to 
be done in the application of knowledge to the growing 
of vegetables, that a useful book on this subject must 
still consist mainly of results based on experience. 

Farmers' Bulletins of the United States Department 
of Agriculture are sent free on application to the Sec- 
retary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Other pub- 
lications of the Department of Agriculture, for which 
a low price is charged, are obtainable from the Super- 
intendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 

The Bulletins of the State Experiment Stations are 



Preface vii 

sent free (if not out of print) on application to the 
Directors of the various Stations. 

The Experiment Stations for the southernmost states 
are at the following places : Texas, College Station ; 
Louisiana, Baton Rouge ; Mississippi, Agricultural 
College ; Alabama, Auburn ; Florida, Gainesville ; 
Georgia, Experiment ; South Carolina, Clemson College. 
The Experiment Stations at Mayaguez, Porto Rico, 
Santiago de las Vegas, Cuba, and Honolulu, Hawaii, 
have published bulletins of special interest. 

I am indebted to the Florida Experiment Station for 
most of the illustrations used in this book. Photo- 
graphs for Plates IX, XV, and XVI were furnished by 
Dr. D. G. Fairchild, of the Office of Seed and Plant 
Introduction, at Washington, D. C. 



P. H. ROLFS. 



Gainesville, Fla., 
January 1, 1916. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

PAGES 

Soils for Vegetable-Gardening in Warm Countries . 1—4 

Soils for vegetable-gardening, 1 — Mechanical classifi- 
cation of soils, 2 — Composition of soils, 3 — Elements 
necessary for plant growth, 3 — Why land becomes 
poor, 4. 

CHAPTER II 

Fertilizers 5-23 

Complete fertilizer, 6 — Sources of nitrogen, 7 — 
Sources of phosphoric acid, 8 — Sources of potash, 9 — 
Percentage of fertilizer elements, 10 — Mixing fertilizers, 
11 — How to compute the amount of fertilizer in a given 
formula, 12 — Table of fertilizers, 16 — How to use the 
table, 17 — Lime, 18 — Ground limestone, 18 — Acidity 
of Florida soils, 20 — How to test for soil acidity, 20 — 
How to test a field for fertilizer, 21. 



CHAPTER III 

Manures for Vegetable-Gardening in Warm Countries 24-28 
Compost, 25 — Muck, 28. 

CHAPTER IV 

Rotation of Crops in Vegetable-Gardening . . . 29-34 
Cover-crops, or plants used to protect and enrich soil, 
31 — Plants as a source of nitrogen, 31 — Weeds, 33. 
ix 



Contents 



CHAPTER V 

v PAGES 

Water and Watering 35-42 

Irrigation, 36 — Overhead irrigation, 37 — Surface 
irrigation, 39 — Sub-irrigation, 40. 



CHAPTER VI 
Seeds and Seed-Sowing 43-51 

How to test a machine, 43 — Choosing the varieties, 44 
— Quantity of seed to sow, 44 — Table, 45 — Seed-sow- 
ing, 46 — How to select plants, 46 — Tropical seeds, 50. 



CHAPTER VII 

Planting 52-65 

Coldframes, 52 — Selection of a location, 52 — Con- 
struction, 52 — Hotbeds, 55 — Plant-sheds, 57 — Seed- 
beds and plant-beds, 58 — Preparation of the land, 59 — 
Well-drained land, 60 — Clearing the land, 61 — Plow- 
ing, 61 — Transplanting, 62 — Number of plants to the 
acre, 65. 

CHAPTER VIII 

Pests and Diseases 66-77 

Poisonous insecticides, 67 — Paris green, 67 — Arsenate 
of lead, 67 — Zinc arsenite, 68 — Contact insecticides, 68 

— Kerosene emulsion, 68 — Whale-oil soap or fish-oil 
soap, 69 — Soda-sulfur spray, 69 — Tobacco-sulfur spray, 
69 — Commercial lime-sulfur solution, self-boiled, 70 

— Bean spray, 71 — Miscible oils, 71 — Poison bait, 72 

— Gaseous insecticides, 72 — Bisulfide of carbon, 72 — 
Formalin, 72 — Fungicides, 73 — Bordeaux mixture, 73 — 
Ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate, 76 — Spray- 
ing machines, 75 — Dry materials, 76. 



Contents xi 



CHAPTER IX 

PAGES 

Marketing 78-80 

The packing-house, 78 — Honest packing, 80. 

CHAPTER X 
Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems — Cole Crops 81-98 
Cabbage, 81 — Seed-bed, 82 — Sowing the seed of 
cabbage, 82 — Soils for cabbage, 83 — Fertilizers for 
cabbage, 84 — Preparing cabbage for market, 85 — 
Marketing cabbage, 85 — Enemies of cabbage, 86 — 
Varieties of cabbage, 86 — Bulletins, 86 — Brussels 
sprouts, 87 — Kale or borecole, 87 — Collards, 88 — 
Cauliflower, 89 — Sowing seed of cauliflower, 90 — 
Soil and fertilizer for cauliflower, 92 — Setting out the 
plants, 92 — Cultivation of cauliflower, 93 — Cutting, 93 

— Crating cauliflower heads, 93 — Seed production, 94 

— Varieties of cauliflower, 94 — Enemies, 95 — Books 
and bulletins, 95 — Broccoli, 95 — Kohlrabi, 97. 

CHAPTER XI 

Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems — Other 

Crops 99-133 

Lettuce, 99 — Seed-bed for lettuce, 100 — Preparing 
the lettuce field, 102 — Cultivation of lettuce, 102 — 
Fertilizer, 102 — Irrigation for lettuce, 103 — Marketing 
lettuce, 104 — Lettuce seed raising, 104 — Diseases, 105 

— Varieties of lettuce, 105 — Bulletins, 106 — Endive, 
106 — Spinach, 107 — Celery, 109 — Soil for celery, 109 

— Fertilizer for celery, 111 — Seed sowing, 112 — Trans- 
planting celery, 113 — Irrigation of celery, 116 — Pre- 
paring celery for market, 118 — Diseases, 118 — Varieties 
of celery, 119 — Bulletins, 119 — Chicory, 119 — Pars- 
ley, 121 — Cress, 122 — Garden cress, 123 — Upland 
cress, 123 — Watercress, 123 — Asparagus, 124 — Prep- 



Xll 



Contents 



aration of the asparagus plot, 125 — Fertilizer for as- 
paragus, 126 — Planting asparagus, 127 — Cutting, 127 
— Bunching and crating asparagus, 128 — Marketing, 
128 — Blanching, 129 — Raising asparagus plants, 129 — 
Canning asparagus, 130 — Enemies, 130 — Varieties of 
asparagus, 131 — Bulletins, 131 — Globe artichokes, 132. 



CHAPTER XII 

Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 

Onions, 134 — Soil for onions, 135 — Fertilizer for 
onions, 135 — Time to sow onion seed, 137 — Seed-bed 
for onions, 137 — Setting out onions, 138 — Cultivation 
of onions, 141 — The large-scale method of onion-grow- 
ing, 142 — Curing the onion crop, 143 — Crating onions, 
144 — Raising onions from sets, 144 — Varieties of 
onions, 144 — Costs in onion growing, 146 — Bulletins, 
146 — Leek, 147 — Shallot, 146 — Chive, 149 — Garlic, 
150. 



134-150 



CHAPTER XIII 
Vegetables with Edible Fruits — The Cucurbits 

Cantaloupes, 151 — Soil and preparation, 152 — Fer- 
tilizer, 152 — Planting and cultivating muskmelons, 153 
— Marketing muskmelons, 153 — Saving melon seed, 
153 — Enemies, 154 — Varieties of melons, 154 — Bulle- 
tins, 154 — Watermelon, 155 — Soil, 155 — Fertilizer for 
watermelons, 155 — Planting watermelons, 156 — Culti- 
vating, 157 — Marketing watermelons, 158 — Saving 
seed, 158 — Diseases and insects, 159 — Varieties of 
watermelon, 159 — Bulletins and papers, 160 — Cucum- 
ber, 160 — Protecting cucumbers from frost, 162 — Soil 
and preparation of the cucumber field, 163 — Fertilizer 
for cucumbers, 164 — Cultivating cucumbers, 165 — 



151-177 



Contents xiii 

PAOEB 

Picking and packing, 166 — Saving cucumber seed, 167 — 
Varieties, 169 — Squash, 169 — Choosing the soil for 
squashes, 170 — Fertilizers, 170 — Fertilizers for 
squashes, 171 — Planting squashes, 172 — Cultivating, 
173 — Marketing, 173 — Varieties, 174 — Chayote, 174 

— Bulletins, 176. 

CHAPTER XIV 

Vegetables with Edible Fkuits — Solanaceous Plants 177-208 
Tomato, 177 — Tomato seed, 179 — Seed-beds, 180 — 
Soil for tomatoes, 181 — Fertilizer, 182 — Preparing the 
tomato field, 182 — Setting out tomato plants, 184 — 
Cultivating, 185 — Pruning tomato vines, 186 — Staking 
tomatoes, 187 — Trellising, 188 — Picking tomatoes, 188 
— Packing-house, 189 — Sorting tomatoes, 190 — Summer 
and fall crop, 191 — Saving tomato seed, 191 — Canning, 
195 — Enemies of the tomato in Florida, 193 — Varie- 
ties of tomatoes, 194 — Literature, 195 — Eggplant, 195 

— Hotbeds and coldframes for eggplants, 196 — Using 
flower-pots, 197 — Soil and preparation, 199 — Fertilizer 
for eggplants, 199 — Cultivation of eggplants, 200 — 
Gathering eggplants, 201 — Marketing, 201 — Seed sav- 
ing, 201 — Varieties of eggplants, 203 — Pepper, 204 — 
Hotbeds and coldframes for peppers, 205 — Soil and 
preparation for peppers, 206 — Fertilizer for peppers, 207 

— Cultivation of peppers, 207 — Marketing, 207 — Sav- 
ing seed, 208 — Varieties of peppers, 208. 



CHAPTER XV 

Vegetables with Edible Fruits — Other Crops . • 209-221 
Roselle, 209 — Propagation, 210 — Cultivation of 
roselle, 211 — Gathering, 212 — Shipping roselle, 212 — 
Productivity, 213 — Uses of roselle, 213 — Diseases, 214 



xiv Contents 

PAGES 

— Varieties of roselle, 214 — Bulletin, 214 — Okra, 215— 
Bulletin, 216 — Plantain, 216 — Papaya, 217 — Bread- 
fruit, 220. 

CHAPTER XVI 

Vegetables with Edible Seeds 222-243 

Peas, 222 — Soil and cultivation, 223 — Fertilizer for 
peas, 223 — Varieties of peas, 224 — Beans, 225 — Bush 
beans, 226 — Soil for bush beans, 226 — Fertilizer, 226 

— Planting and cultivating bush beans, 227 — Preparing 
bush beans for market, 228 — Harvesting bush beans, 
229 — Varieties of bush beans, 230 — Pole beans, 230 — 
Varieties of pole beans, 231 — Lima beans, 232 — Cul- 
ture, 232 — Varieties of lima beans, 232 — Runner beans, 
232 — Varieties, 233 — Enemies of beans in general, 233 

— Bulletins, 233 — Broad bean, 234 — Cowpea, 235 — 
Bulletin, 235 — Peanut, 236 — Soil and preparation, 236 

— Fertilizer, 237 — Planting peanuts, 237 — Cultivation 
of peanuts, 239 — Harvesting peanuts, 240 — Varieties 
of peanuts, 242 — Bulletins, 242 — Goober, 242 — Sweet 
corn, 242. 

CHAPTER XVII 
Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots . . . 244-285 
Irish potato, 244 — Soil and preparation, 245 — Fer- 
tilizer for potatoes, 246 — Seed potatoes, 247 — Planting 
potatoes, 248 — Cultivation of potatoes, 249 — Harvest- 
ing, 250 — Storing potatoes, 251 — Varieties of potatoes, 
262 — Second crop of potatoes, 252 — Diseases of pota- 
toes, 253 — Bulletins, 253 — Sweet potato, 254 — Soil for 
the sweet potato, 254 — Fertilizer, 255 — Propagation of 
the sweet potato, 255 — Preparation of the land for sweet 
potato, and transplanting, 256 — Cultivation, 257 — 
Storing, 258 — Marketing, 259 — Uses, 259 — Enemies, 
259 — Varieties of sweet potatoes, 260 — Bulletins, 260 — 



Contents xv 



Jerusalem artichoke, 261 — Yam, 262 — Radish, 264 — 
Soil and preparation, 264 — Fertilizer for radishes, 265 

— Sowing and cultivation, 265 — Marketing radishes, 266 

— Seed raising, 267 — Varieties of radishes, 267 — Com- 
parison of varieties of radish grown in the open garden, 
268 — Turnip, 268 — Soil and preparation, 269 — Plant- 
ing and cultivating, 269 — Marketing, 270 — Varieties of 
turnip, 270 — Rutabaga, 270 — Beet, 271 — Soil and 
preparation, 271 — Fertilizer for beets, 272 — Seeding 
and cultivating beets, 272 — Marketing, 273 — Varieties 
of beets, 274 — Carrot, 274 — Soil and preparation, 275 — 
Fertilizer for carrots, 275 — Sowing and cultivation of 
carrots, 276 — Marketing, 276 — Varieties of carrots, 
276 — Parsnip, 277 — Soil and preparation, 277 — Fer- 
tilizer for parsnips, 277 — Sowing and cultivating pars- 
nips, 278 — Varieties, 278 — Salsify or oyster plant, 279 

— Dasheen or Taro, 279 — Uses of dasheen, 281 — Bulle- 
tins, 281— Tanier, 281 — Bulletin, 282 — Horse-radish, 
283 — Cassava, 283 — Bulletins, 285 — Lleren, 285. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

Other Vegetables ; Planting-List 286-300 

Chenopodium quinoa, 286 — Ullucus tuberosus, 286 
— Arracacia Xanthorrhiza, 287 — Yam-bean (Pachy- 
rhizns erosus, and P. tuberosus), 287 — Goa bean 
(Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), 288 — New Zealand 
spinach (Tetragonia expansa), 288 — Basella (Basella 
rubra), 288 — Edible jute (Corchorus olitorius var. 
edulis), 288 — Edible amaranth (Amaranthus oleraceus, 
A. gangeticus, and A. viridis), 289 — Para cress (Spi- 
lanthes oleracea), 289 — Pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus), 
289 — Sword bean and Jack bean (Canavalia), 290 — 
Chinese cabbage (Brassica Pe-tsai), 290 — Chinese 
mustard (Brassica juncea), 290 — Roquette (Eruca 



xvi Contents 

PAGES 

sativa), 290 — West India cucumber (Cucumis Anguria) , 

291 — Ginger {Zingiber officinale), 291 — Dandelion 
(Taraxacum officinale), 291 — Asparagus bean (Doli- 
chos sesquipedalis) , 291 — Hyacinth bean (Dolichos 
Lablab), 292 — Snake gourd (Trichosanthes Anguina), 

292 — Tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea), 292 — 
Chard (Beta vulgaris var.), 292 — Pepino (Solanum 
muricatum), 293— Wax gourd, 293 — Planting-list of 
vegetables by months, 296. 

Index 301-309 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

PLATE PAGK 

I. Irrigation Opposite 36 

Top, wooden sluice for conducting water to cucum- 
bers and other crops, with V-shaped troughs to carry 
the water and also to be used to protect plants from 
frost; bottom, sub-irrigation of celery field, showing 
head-boxes. 

II. Lettuce Opposite 99 

Top, lettuce grown on a city lot ; bottom, a com- 
mercial lettuce field in Florida. 

III. Three Good Types of Lettuce . . . Opposite 105 

Left, Hanson ; right, Big Boston ; top, Black-seeded 
Butter. 

IV. Celery Opposite 109 

Top, largest one well rooted and ready for trans- 
planting ; center, market celery packed in a crate ; 
bottom, celery packing in field. 

V. Plant Beds Opposite 112 

Above, a seed-bed for starting celery plants, with 
cheesecloth covering ; old fertilizer bags on fence were 
used over the beds to sprout the seeds. Below, a can- 
vas-covered bed in which a cucumber crop is grown. 

VI. Celery Opposite 115 

Top left, well-grown celery plants (Golden Self- 
blanching) ; top right, foot-press for packing celery ; 
bottom, blanching celery by means of boards, 
xvii 



xviii Illustrations 

PLATE PAGE 

VII. Onions, Red Bermuda (left) and Creole. Also a 

Hamper of Lettuce ..... Opposite 134 • 

VIII. Melons Opposite 151 -' 

Top, Rocky Ford muskmelon; bottom, field marked 
off for muskmelons. 

IX. Twelve Varieties of Chatote (Sechium edule). One- 
third Natural Size ..... Opposite 1H J 

X. Eggplants and Peppers .... Opposite 195 V 

Top, eggplant plantation ; center left, white egg- 
plant ; center right, eggplant ready for transplanting 
to the field; bottom, peppers in the field. 

XL Cucumber Hampers ; and a Plant of Roselle (Victor 

variety) Opposite 209 v/ 

XII. Potatoes and Tomatoes .... Opposite 244 >> 
Irish potato field above ; tomatoes properly staked. 

XIII. Lettuce and Sweet Potatoes . . . Opposite 257 ^ 

Top, Big Boston head lettuce, in longitudinal sec- 
tion ; bottom, using disc cultivator in sweet potatoes. 

XIV. Root Vegetables Opposite 264 v 

Left top, French Breakfast radish ; right top, Long 
Scarlet radish ; left bottom, Rose Turnip radish ; 
right bottom, Chantenay carrot. 

XV. A Field of Dasheen or Taro as grown in Florida 

Opposite 279 v/ 

XVI. Tubers of Dasheen Opposite 281 >/ 

About natural size. These tubers weigh four or five 
ounces. 



SUBTROPICAL VEGETABLE-GARDENING 



SUBTROPICAL VEGETABLE- 
GARDENING 



CHAPTER I 

SOILS FOR VEGETABLE-GARDENING IN WARM 
COUNTRIES 

The earthy matter in which plants grow is commonly 
known as soil ; it is finely pulverized rock intermixed 
with more or less organic matter. The thin upper stratum 
in which plants grow is all that we are interested in for 
the present. The dark color in this stratum is due to the 
partial oxidation of the vegetable matter here present. 
The oxygen is mainly derived from the air. The part 
that is dark is usually called the soil, and that immediately 
below has been designated the subsoil. The soil is usually 
more fertile than the subsoil, especially in the South. In 
some of the alluvial bottoms, the soil is of the same con- 
sistency for a considerable depth. 

The black vegetable mold in the soil, which we commonly 
call humus, is an important factor. In it is contained the 
mineral matter once extracted from the soil by the plants 
whose rotting produced the humus, in a good condition 
to be taken up again by other plants. Besides containing 
food for plants, it keeps the soil in good condition for 



2 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

plant growth. A sandy soil, rich in humus, can withstand 
a drought better than one in which the humus is want- 
ing ; but unless there is a more or less compact stratum 
of subsoil below such a sandy soil, much of the fertilizer 
will be carried off by frequent rains, and the land 
will be poor. The rotting of vegetable matter is due to 
friendly bacteria and fungi in the soil. If there are few 
of these in the soil, any vegetable or animal substance 
would be of little use to ordinary plants. The bacteria, 
as it were, pre-digest it. Hence one must take care of 
these bacteria and not let the soil be too wet, too close, 
or too acid for them to multiply. 

MECHANICAL CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS 

Owing to the large percentage of sand in many soils and 
its presence in all soils, it has been suggested that they 
should be classified according to the amount they contain. 
Under this classification there are the following divisions : 

1. Clay; from which no sand can be removed by 
washing. 

2. Strong clay ; from which as much as 5 to 20 per 
cent of sand can be separated. 

3. Clay loam ; when washing will remove 20 to 40 per 
cent of sand. 

4. Loam ; when the land contains as much as 40 to 70 
per cent of sand. 

5. Sandy loam ; from which 70 to 90 per cent of sand 
can be separated. 

6. Light sand; containing more than 90 per cent of 
sand. 



Soils for Vegetable-Gardening in Warm Countries 3 

When soil contains an easily perceptible amount of 
carbonate of lime, it is said to be calcareous or marly. 

When a very large percentage of vegetable matter is 
present, the soil is usually called muck or vegetable mold. 

COMPOSITION OP SOILS 

Soils that are in good condition for raising crops are made 
up of about fourteen elements. There are more elements 
that may occur in soils ; but as only about thirteen of 
these are actually used by plants, we need not regard the 
others, with the exception of aluminium, which, although 
not a plant-food, yet is the chief constituent of all clays. 

Elements necessary for plant growth. 

The essential elements for plant growth are oxygen, 
hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, 
calcium, magnesium, and iron, together with sodium, 
silicon, and chlorin. Oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are 
mainly, and nitrogen partly, derived from the air. They 
constitute 95 to 99 per cent of the weight of plants. 
While these four elements are derived from the air, it 
should not be understood that they are usually taken 
directly from it by the plant, nor do they usually enter 
the plant in the condition of a simple element. All parts 
of plants, however, take oxygen from the air as they re- 
spire, and some plants, belonging to the pea family, are 
able, under certain conditions, to assimilate more or less 
nitrogen indirectly from the air. Because the above- 
named four elements make up so much of the weight of 
plants, it should not be inferred that the other nine ele- 



4 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

ments that are derived from the soil are of only minor im- 
portance. Although their combined weight is only 
from 1 to 5 per cent of the plant, the absence of any of 
these may materially interfere with its growth. Most 
vegetables get all their carbon from the air, and they can 
only get it in the light. They take in most of the other 
elements along with water by their roots, and they can 
only continue to do this when water is evaporating out 
from their leaves. Hence it is seen why they must have 
enough sunlight. 

WHY LAND BECOMES POOR 

It will be clear from what has been said that if crops are 
repeatedly removed from the land, some element or ele- 
ments will be depleted or exhausted, or, as is ordinarily 
said, the land becomes poor. 

Different crops do not remove an equal amount of the 
different elements, and even different individual plants 
of the same crop vary considerably in the amount of any 
one element that they take from the soil. Some crops 
take much nitrogen from the soil and return only a part 
of it when their roots and fallen leaves decay ; others take 
only a small amount of nitrogen from the soil and give 
much back ; the former make the land poorer, while the 
latter make it richer in nitrogen. When a piece of land 
is " tired " of one crop, it is often able to produce some other 
crop in fair quantity. To keep soil in such condition that 
it will produce a crop in paying quantities, we must main- 
tain the necessary elements in sufficient quantity; we 
must fertilize. 



CHAPTER II 
FERTILIZERS 

Thirteen of the eighty and more elements now recog- 
nized by chemists are more or less directly concerned in 
the growth of agricultural plants. 

Of the thirteen elements, silicon, chlorin, and sodium are 
perhaps not essential, and are nearly always abundant 
enough. Oxygen and hydrogen are the elements of 
water. Carbon is derived directly from the air. Sulfur, 
calcium, magnesium, and iron are contained in most 
soils in fair amounts. Only nitrogen, phosphorus, and 
potassium often become scarce, and the plant must have 
these three. They play such an important part in the 
plant economy, and are present in such varying quanti- 
ties, and so often one or more of them is insufficient in 
amount, that one looks upon them as the essential ele- 
ments ; though they are not more necessary to the plant's 
welfare than some other elements. A deficiency of any 
one will cause the plants to look sickly, and make 
them fit subjects for insect and fungous attacks, to which 
they then readily succumb. If a field has been producing 
good crops for a number of years and then gradually 
fails without visible cause, it is a fair indication that 
some form of food for that crop is becoming exhausted, and 

5 



6 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

one must either stop growing that crop on that particular 
soil, or in some way supply the wanting plant-foods. 
This is accomplished by using either home-made or com- 
mercial fertilizers. It must not be thought, however, 
that plants can use up all the mineral food in the soil. 
They can take only the soluble minerals, and those that 
happen to come their way. By resting the land, more of 
the mineral food becomes soluble. The good effects 
of fertilizers are due mainly to their being soluble plant- 
food, and to their being put where the plant can get them. 
Any substance that will supply the deficient element or 
elements to the soil, in such a form as to be available to 
the crop, is considered a fertilizer. It is not uncommon 
to find an element present in the soil in sufficient quantity, 
but in such form that the crop cannot make use of it; 
in other words, the element is not available. 

COMPLETE FERTILIZER 

A fertilizer that contains all three elements, nitrogen 
(as organic nitrogen, nitrate, or ammonia), phosphorus (as 
phosphoric acid), and potassium (as potash), is said to 
be complete. The amounts of the elements vary with the 
different brands of fertilizer, and should be suited to dif- 
ferent crops and the different soils for which they are to 
be used. The amount of an element in a special fertilizer 
is governed largely by the amount of that element removed 
from the soil by any particular crop. 

An incomplete fertilizer is one which is wanting in any 
one or more of the three fertilizing elements. These are 
known either by their chemical name, as acid phosphate, 



Fertilizers 7 

muriate of potash, nitrate of soda ; or by some trade name, 
as kainit, blood and bone, guano. 

The fertilizer formulae employed in this book should not 
be regarded as the best under all varying soil conditions. 
They are suggestive of what will probably prove advan- 
tageous under average or normal conditions in a sandy soil. 
Experience with any particular field or region will soon in- 
dicate what changes should be made in a formula for a par- 
ticular crop. Generally speaking, starch-producing crops, 
such as Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, will be bene- 
fited by a large quantity of potash. 

SOURCES OF NITROGEN 

In its natural state, nitrogen occurs as an atmospheric 
gas, and as such it is not available as a fertilizer. When 
the amount of nitrogen is mentioned in speaking of a 
fertilizer, one simply means that it is in some combination 
with other elements that hold it in the form of a solid. 

The different forms in which nitrogen occurs as a ferti- 
lizer are : first, as organic matter, either vegetable or ani- 
mal, for example, cottonseed meal, fish scrap, dried blood, 
tankage ; second, as nitrate, in nitrate of soda, or nitrate 
of potash ; third, in the form of ammonia compounds, as 
sulfate of ammonia. In the guarantees or analyses of 
fertilizers, when the amount of nitrogen is given, it is in- 
tended to imply how much of it would be present if it were 
in the form of a gas. Sometimes the amount of nitrogen 
in a fertilizer is expressed as ammonia, when it is really 
nitrate or organic matter. It is calculated in this way for 
ease in comparison. This is the method used in Florida. 



8 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Nitrogen (or ammonia) is the most expensive fertilizer, 
the one which is most easily lost by leaching, and also the 
one an excess or deficiency of which may have the most 
prejudicial effect on a crop. Hence, it behooves the user 
to be especially careful with his nitrogenous fertilizers. 
The cheapest way to secure nitrogen (or ammonia) is to 
get it free from the air by growing velvet beans or other 
legumes. 

SOURCES OF PHOSPHORIC ACID 

A source of phosphoric acid of great commercial impor- 
tance is the phosphate rock of Florida and South Carolina. 
This rock contains a varying quantity of phosphoric acid, 
therefore it is necessary to make an analysis of it before 
one can know its value. The natural rock becomes soluble 
only slowly in the soil, so it is customary to grind it and 
treat with sulfuric acid to make the phosphoric acid readily 
soluble and available to plants. In this condition it is 
known as "acid phosphate," or "superphosphate." It 
has been found of advantage, in some soils, to use the 
natural rock, finely ground; this is called "floats." 

In the manufacture of steel, the phosphorus of the 
molten iron is oxidized and absorbed by lime. The re- 
sulting slag, called "Thomas slag," contains phosphoric 
acid and much lime. It is not acid but basic, and so is 
suitable for acid soils, when finely ground. 

Another source of commercial importance was phos- 
phate from the bones of various animals. Before the dis- 
covery of phosphate rock, this was a very important 
source ; and while the price of ground bone for fertilizer 
has not declined much as a result of the discovery of rock 



Fertilizers 9 

phosphate, yet it has not increased as it otherwise would 
have. In their natural state, bones yield phosphoric acid 
to plants rather slowly ; but, being crushed and treated 
with sulfuric acid, the phosphoric acid is made soluble and 
so becomes available at once or in a short time. But 
little bone, however, is now treated with acid, and "dis- 
solved bone" has become a trade name for acid phosphate 
made from rock. 

The packing-houses and slaughter-houses collect the 
bones and harder part of refuse to grind up for fertilizer. 
Blood and bone is a trade name given to refuse from 
slaughtering establishments ; its composition is rather in- 
definite. The bones and refuse of fish in large fisheries, 
also the carcasses of worthless fish, are used as a supply 
of this important element of plant-food, as well as nitrogen, 
under the name of " fish scrap." 

SOURCES OF POTASH 

In nature, soluble potash usually occurs as a chloride 
(muriate), a sulfate, or a carbonate. It is also found as 
an insoluble silicate in many rocks. It is very widely 
distributed, occurring in all parts of the world, and is one 
of the fertilizer ingredients that are left after plants are 
burned ; in other words, it is one of the principal constitu- 
ents of the ash of plants. Besides this general distribu- 
tion, it also occurs in large bodies in a very few parts of 
the earth. The largest and most important of these is 
located in Stassfurt, Germany, where it is mined, much as 
salt is in other parts of Europe. In this place it occurs 
mainly as sulfate mixed with common salt and other sub- 



10 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



stances, and is imported to this country under the name of 
kainit. When refined, it is sold on our market as muriate 
of potash or sulfate of potash, as the case may be. 

Percentage of Fertilizer Elements 

Table showing the approximate amounts of different fertilizer 
elements in various substances used in growing vegetables 



Materials used fob 
Nitrogen 


S & 
n 

H « 
2(g 


< z £ 

« w <5 
O <0 


PL, 


Q 
D 

gal 

<! Bt « 
> o. a 

w 

PL, 


g 

gas 

o ° 

■ , - j 

W 


Cottonseed meal . . . 


6-7 


7-8 


1 


2 




Cyanamid 






10-16 


12-20 








Dried blood 






10-15 


12-18 








Dried fish scraps 






7-8 


8-10 




6-8 




Guano . . . 






7-8 


8-10 


2-4 


5-8 




Muck, good 






1-3 


1-4 








Nitrate of lime 






12-14 


15-17 








Nitrate of soda 






15-16 


15-20 








Tankage . . 






5 


6J 




2-5 


4-7 


Tobacco stems 






2-3 


3-4 


5-8 


1 




Sulfate of ammonia 




19-22 


23-26 








Materials used for 
Potash 












Cottonseed hull ashes 






15-25 


6-8 










10-16 






Muriate of potash (80 












to 85 per cent) . . 






48-50 






Nitrate of potash . . 


13-14 


16-18 


43-44 


2 





Fertilizers 



11 



Materials used for 
Potash 


2 £ 


2 w & 

g J H 

O <IQ 
S > 

s Eg 


9,H 


O 
< M « 

> & w 
c 

PL, 


a 
5 

K I- W 

2 so 

n ° 
H 


Saw palmetto ashes (un- 












leached) .... 






1-6 






Sulfate of potash (high 


















48-51 






Sulfate of potash and 












magnesia .... 






26-28 






Tobacco stems . . . 


2-3 


3-4 


*-5 






Wood ashes (leached) . 






1-3 






Wood ashes (unleached) 






4-8 






Materials used for 
Phosphoric Acid 












Acid phosphate . . . 








10-16 


1-3 


Bone-meal .... 




3-4 




4-8 


16-17 


Florida hard rock . . 










25-35 


Florida soft phosphate 










10-35 


Guano 


7-8 


8-10 


2-4 


5-8 




South Carolina phos- 






















25-30 




5 


6§ 




2-5 


4-7 


Thomas phosphate (basic 












slag) 










18-29 



MIXING FERTILIZERS 



Several fertilizer houses in Florida will mix and bag any 
formula which a grower may desire, at a cost of $1.50 a ton 
more than the value of the materials. This is in excess of 
what it would cost the grower to do the mixing at home. 



12 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Some combinations, however, cake, and require regrinding, 
and for such it would be cheaper to have the work done at 
the factory. Some vegetable-growers do not have a suit- 
able floor, or a plasterer's sieve, and scales at hand. For 
any who should wish to mix their own fertilizers, and for 
those who wish to have special combinations prepared, 
the formulas given in this book are followed by a list of 
quantities of fertilizing materials. 

A method which has been successfully practiced for 
the home mixing of fertilizers, was to spread the weighed 
and screened materials on the barn floor, in layers one 
above the other, the bulkiest at the bottom. The pile 
was mixed by shoveling together four times, and then 
bagged. Analysis showed that the mixing was perfect. 
It is well not to mix lime (or Thomas slag which contains 
lime) with other fertilizers; for by so doing ammonia 
may be lost, and phosphoric acid made unavailable, or the 
mixture may set hard. 

HOW TO COMPUTE THE AMOUNT OF FERTILIZER IN A GIVEN 
FORMULA 

It is important that one should be able to compute the 
amount of any essential fertilizer element contained in a 
certain formula. Unless one is able to find this out, one 
cannot make an intelligent use of the substance. Very 
often a high-grade and a low-grade fertilizer can be pur- 
chased on the same market : then it is important that the 
relative values of these should be secured in order that 
one may buy intelligently. It does not concern us further 
than the difference in handling, whether it is necessary to 



Fertilizers 13 

use a half ton or a ton of fertilizer to get the requisite 
amount of an essential element ; therefore, if one cannot get 
the requisite amount of a certain element in low-grade fer- 
tilizer for enough less to pay for its handling and something 
over, it would be better to buy the high-grade fertilizer. 

In Florida and in most other states of the Union, the 
state chemist publishes every year the approximate 
values of 20 pounds of nitrogen (or ammonia), 20 pounds of 
available phosphoric acid, and 20 pounds of potash, at 
one or more of the principal towns of the state. Thus the 
Florida state valuations for 1909 were : 20 pounds of 
nitrogen are worth $4.01 ; 20 pounds of potash are worth 
$1.10; 20 pounds of available phosphoric acid are worth 
$1 .00 — at the sea-ports. Twenty pounds is of course one 
hundredth, or 1 per cent of a ton, and is taken as a unit. 
Hence if one has a fertilizer containing 6 per cent nitrogen, 
10 per cent available phosphoric acid, and 8 per cent 
potash, the value of a ton is readily calculated. 

Nitrogen = $4.01 X 6 = $24.06 

Phosphoric acid = 1.00 X 10 = 10.00 

Potash = 1.10 X 8 = 8.80 

Mixing and bagging 1.50 

Total $44.36 

If a second fertilizer contains 4 per cent of nitrogen, 
6 per cent of available phosphoric acid, and 6 per cent of 
potash, it will be worth a ton : 

Nitrogen $16.04 

Phosphoric acid 6.00 

Potash 6.60 

Mixing and bagging 1.50 

Total $30.14 



14 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Thus the former fertilizer is worth $14.22 a ton more 
than the latter. Even if the latter fertilizer were offered 
at $28.00 at the depot at Jacksonville, it would be neces- 
sary to decide whether one would make anything by buying 
cheaper and having the extra hauling and handling of so 
much more useless material. 

The Report of the State Chemist of Florida for January, 
1909, contains the following comparison of high-grade 
and low-grade fertilizers, which shows clearly how much 
money has been lost by purchasing the low-grade fer- 
tilizers : 

" I again earnestly recommend the use of the high-grade 
mixed goods as the most economical, and again quote 
statements made in former reports as follows: The 
composition, selling price, and valuation of the average 
brand of each group appear below : 



Low Grade 
Medium Grade 
High Grade 



Nitrogen 



1.13 
2.32 
4.00 



Available 
Phos- 
phoric 
Acid 



8.28 
8.72 
7.00 



Potash 



2.50 

3.66 

10.00 



Total 
Plant- 
food 



11.9 
14.4 
21.0 



Average 

Selling 

Price 



124.50 
30.00 
36.50 



Average 
State 
Valua- 
tion 



$16.85 
24.84 
32.70 



" It will be noticed how rapidly the relative selling price 
above state values decreases from the low-grade to the 
high-grade goods. 



Low grade costs above state values 
Medium grade costs above state values 
High grade costs above state values 



$7.65 
5.16 
3.80 



Fertilizers 15 

Again the percentage of cost above state values is as fol- 
lows, practically : 

Low grade 45 per cent 

Medium grade 20 per cent 

High grade 11 per cent 

I have urged in previous reports the economy of the high- 
grade materials, and again call attention to the poor 
economy of buying fertilizer by the ton 'because it is 
cheap,' when in fact the 'cheap' fertilizers are the more 
expensive in first cost, and more costly to handle (value 
considered) than the higher grade, concentrated goods." 

Analyses of commercial fertilizers everywhere show that 
in many cases the higher grade fertilizer is the cheaper to 
buy, the higher price for a ton only meaning that there is 
less worthless material in it. Some vegetable-growers 
prefer to calculate the value of their mixed fertilizers by 
the price for a pound of the three plant-food ingredients. 
The State Chemist of Florida gives the following values 
for 1909 : 

Ammonia 16^ a pound 

Available phosphoric acid 5 £ a pound 

Potash 5f^ a pound 

Taking a formula recommended for vegetables in 
Florida, 3^ per cent ammonia, 1\ per cent potash, 6§ per 
cent available phosphoric acid, let us calculate the value a 
ton. Here 3§ per cent is 70 pounds of ammonia, costing 
SI 1.55 ; 1\ per cent is 150 pounds of potash, costing $8.25 ; 
6^ per cent is 130 pounds of phosphoric acid, costing $6.50. 
Therefore, a ton would contain 350 pounds of plant-food, 
and would be worth, mixed and bagged, $27.80. 



16 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



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Fertilizers 17 

HOW TO USE THE TABLE 

This table enables one to ascertain the amount of 
different ingredients that may be used in compounding 
any normal formula. To secure the amount of plant- 
food contained in a formula giving 5 per cent ammonia, 
6 per cent potash, and 6 per cent phosphoric acid, it will 
require 550 pounds nitrate of soda, 252 pounds muriate 
of potash, and 750 pounds 16 per cent acid phosphate. 
To ascertain the amount of ammonia needed, read down 
the first column to 5 (the per cent of ammonia the formula 
calls for), then read across to the column under nitrate 
of soda where we find 550 pounds as the required amount 
of nitrate of soda. To get the amount of potash, read 
down the first column until 6, the number representing 
the percentage of potash, is reached, then read across the 
column until muriate of potash is reached, where we find 
the number 252. We find the number (6) representing 
the percentage of phosphoric acid desired, in the same 
way, and then again read across the columns until the 
one representing 16 per cent acid phosphate is reached, 
where we find the number 750. This combination gives 
us 1552 pounds. If a ton of material is wanted, one 
can supply the deficiency by adding soil or other inert 
material. 

Very many combinations can be made. All the ma- 
terials in this table may safely be mixed. Some combina- 
tions may solidify after mixing, and would need to be 
crushed. 

It is frequently advisable to use the ammonia from two 
sources, for example, nitrate of soda and cottonseed meal, 
c 



18 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Suppose that 2 per cent of the ammonia is wanted from 
nitrate of soda and 3 per cent from cottonseed meal. We 
proceed as before to read down the first column to the 
figure 2, and then across to the nitrate of soda column, 
where we find the figure 220, which is the amount of nitrate 
of soda needed. We then proceed similarly and find 
800 pounds to be the amount of cottonseed meal needed 
to make 3 per cent of ammonia. Then proceed to find the 
amounts of other elements as before. 



LIME 

A plant needs a certain amount of lime. There is often 
sufficient in the soil as carbonate of lime or limestone. 
Phosphate and land plaster contain a large percentage of 
it. But the uses of lime in agricultural soils are usually 
quite different from its use as a plant-food. It neutralizes 
the acids which are produced in damp vegetable soils, 
and is required for the growth of the bacteria which change 
animal and vegetable matter into soluble salts on which 
the plants can feed. Lime may be put on the soil as 
ground limestone or as slaked lime. 

Ground limestone. 

The amount of ground limestone to be used will vary 
greatly according to the acidity of the particular piece of 
land, even different parts of the same acre showing different 
degrees of acidity. A soil that is only slightly acid will 
need from one to two tons of ground limestone ; soils that 
are decidedly acid will require about twice as much ; and 
some of our most acid soils will be benefited by as much 



Fertilizers 19 

as 8 to 12 tons to an acre. Many farm crops are bene- 
fited by an application of ground limestone, even when 
the soil does not show acidity. Plants of the legume 
family are especially benefited by such an applica- 
tion. Celery, lettuce, cabbage, citrous fruits, hay and 
forage crops, generally prefer a large supply of lime in 
the soil. Watermelons, on the other hand, do well on an 
acid soil. 

It is best to apply ground limestone to the soil a con- 
siderable time before the crop is to be planted. The 
application should be made before plowing, as this will 
give an opportunity to incorporate the material more 
evenly with the soil, and will give the beneficial soil or- 
ganisms an opportunity to increase to large numbers. 

If it has not been possible to apply ground limestone 
before the soil is broken up, it may be applied before 
planting time. It is advisable, however, to apply it a 
considerable time before one wishes to use fertilizer, 
since the acid phosphate of the fertilizer on coming in 
contact with the ground limestone is likely to be reverted 
more quickly than desirable. 

Formerly it was considered necessary to have the lime- 
stone ground into a very fine powder ; later experimenta- 
tion has shown that a rather more coarsely ground lime- 
stone is quite as beneficial and more lasting. Hopkins, 
of the Illinois Experiment Station, considers that the 
limestone is ground fine enough if it can pass through a 
sieve with 10 meshes to the inch. Since there are in- 
cluded in this material all the finer particles that are pro- 
duced in grinding, a sufficient amount of lime will be 
available at once for the needs of the plants. 



20 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Acidity of Florida soils. 

The soils of Florida are for the most part made up of 
siliceous particles, and have no available alkali or base to 
neutralize any acidity. In a few cases in which an 
abundance of limestone occurs in the surface soil, it is a 
corrector of acidity, but by far the larger percentage of 
the sandy soils are acid. 

Florida muck soils are nearly all acid, there being very 
few exceptions. These are not only acid, but very strongly 
so, and frequently require a very large amount of ground 
limestone to correct the acidity. 

In addition to the fact that most Florida soils are natu- 
rally acid, this condition is intensified by some of the 
fertilizers, especially when large amounts of sulfate of 
ammonia are used. When such materials are broken up, 
as they are in the process of being made available to plants, 
the acid radical is left in the soil. 

How to test for soil acidity. 

Soil may be tested readily for acidity. This can best be 
done in the field. Procure strips of litmus paper from the 
drug-store, of both kinds, pink and blue. In using this 
litmus paper, care should be taken that the fingers do not 
touch it, since the perspiration from the hands is usually acid 
enough to turn the blue to pink, and in testing soil after the 
paper has been handled a false reaction might occur. The 
soil to be tested must not be too dry. A small amount 
of soil may be taken up, and if it can be pressed into a 
good ball it usually contains enough moisture to show the 
reaction. Break the ball of soil open and place two strips 



Fertilizers 21 

of paper (blue and pink) in the break, then press tightly 
together again. In the course of ten minutes examine, 
and if the paper has been thoroughly wetted the condition 
of the soil may be noted. If the blue litmus paper has 
turned pink, the soil is acid. If the pink paper has 
turned blue, the soil is alkaline. If no change in color 
occurs, the soil is neutral. The degree of acidity can be 
told in a general way by the degree of pinkness if the 
paper was formerly blue. The subsoil as well as the 
soil should be tested. 



HOW TO TEST A FIELD FOR FERTILIZER 

It is well known to all vegetable-growers that no two 
fields are exactly alike in their fertilizer requirements. 
Chemical analyses of the soil will not give sufficiently 
accurate data to enable us to vary the fertilizer formula. 
Fortunately the superabundance of any element in the 
soil rarely proves harmful, but to apply an excess of any 
element is wasteful and expensive. The only way at our 
command at present is to ask the particular crop to analyze 
the field for us. 

The sandy soil of Florida is unusually well adapted to 
work of this kind, as so much of it is deficient in all of the 
essential fertilizing elements. Any one raising vegetables 
could withhold one of the three necessary fertilizers for a 
series of years on three different plots, and thereby learn 
the effect of such treatment, and then by noting the color 
of the foliage, form of growth, and other characters, learn 
to interpret these when observed in other fields. 

To test a field to learn whether it really needs all the 



22 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

elements of a complete fertilizer, one may proceed as 
follows : Choose four rows of, say, tomatoes, that run 
across a typical portion of the field, and withhold from 
these one of the fertilizer elements, for instance nitrogen. 
Treat the next four rows the same as the bulk of the field. 
From the next four rows withhold the potash. Again 
treat four rows with the usual fertilizer : and withhold 
the phosphoric acid from the next set of four rows. 

While the test rows are being prepared, a number of 
strong stakes are made ready to mark off each plot by 
driving them securely into the ground at the first row of 
each of the three sets of four rows. If a second dressing 
of fertilizer is given to the crop, care must be exercised not 
to apply the element that was withheld when the first 
dressing was made. In making such a test, it is almost 
useless to employ only one or two rows, as the plants 
may draw their supply of the wanting element from the 
neighboring row. After such a test has been made, the 
crop from this portion should be measured carefully and 
compared with that of the neighboring rows. If the first 
four rows produce a decidedly inferior crop, and the other 
two sets of four rows are of an average production, it is 
evident that the field needs nitrogen ; but if only the first 
and third sets of four rows have fallen off in yield, the field 
needs nitrogen and phosphoric acid and not potash. 

Another way that has been employed, but one that does 
not answer the question whether more than one element is 
deficient, is to use the plots in the way described above ; 
but in the place of two elements in each, to use only one. 
For example, choose four rows and fertilize these with a 
nitrogenous fertilizer only, containing neither potash 



Fertilizers 23 

nor phosphoric acid; and so on. On vegetables, either 
of these tests can easily be performed, but on fruit-trees 
the results are frequently so slow in making themselves 
manifest that it requires one or two years to answer the 
question correctly. 



CHAPTER III 

MANURES FOR VEGETABLE-GARDENING IN 
WARM COUNTRIES 

Manure comprises all forms of partly decomposed vege- 
table matter in barn-yards, whether animal excrement or 
other decomposing plant remains. Its value varies 
greatly, not only with regard to source, but also from the 
manner in which it has been kept. When kept in the usual 
way, it is worth from $2.00 to $4.00 a ton for use on sandy 
soils in Florida. About 60 to 80 per cent of the whole 
weight is water ; 9 to 15 pounds of each ton is nitrogen ; 
4 to 9 pounds, phosphoric acid ; and 9 to 15 pounds, potash. 
From these variations it is evident that it is difficult to 
state just how much manure is worth. If the manure has 
decomposed in the open air, there is likelihood of the rain 
having washed out much of the potash, and the ammonia 
having passed off as a gas into the atmosphere. Manure 
that is to be kept for some time should be under a roof 
where rain cannot wash out any of the soluble fertilizer. 
It should be kept from becoming too hot by being forked 
over or stirred in some way, or by using water when be- 
coming dry. While the essential elements in manure 
may not equal those of a commercial fertilizer at the 
same price, yet it has an additional worth in supplying 
humus, the value of which is difficult to estimate, and 
which is often needed more than the plant-food elements. 

24 



Manures for Vegetable-Gardening in Warm Countries 25 

Manure supplies useful bacteria, especially on sandy, 
worn-out, or occasionally flooded lands, but may distribute 
weed seeds, and fungi such as Fusarium. 



COMPOST 

It has long been known that decomposing vegetable or 
animal matter causes plants to grow luxuriantly ; but 
that at the same time, the plants are liable to be unfruitful. 
This is due to an over-abundance of nitrogenous matter. 
If, to this decomposing organic matter, enough potash and 
phosphoric acid are added to make a complete fertilizer, 
the plants do not become "over-grown." The amount 
of potash and phosphoric acid to be used is learned by 
experience. Such a mixture is called a compost. This 
term is often applied to a decomposing heap of organic 
matter, and also to such heaps when land plaster (gyp- 
sum) has been added ; but the term is here restricted 
to decomposed organic matter, to which enough com- 
mercial fertilizer elements have been added to make a 
complete fertilizer. 

On any farm, garden, or other place where branches of 
horticulture or agriculture are carried on, a considerable 
quantity of coarse and refuse material can be collected 
without special effort. All offal, as vegetable refuse, 
kitchen slops, wash-water or soap-suds, the dung of domes- 
tic animals, bits of wood, — in fact, anything of animal 
or vegetable origin, — may be used in this way. The best 
way to dispose of any animal that has died on the farm is 
to use it in the compost heap. When any odor is escaping 
from the compost heap or bin, one may be sure that 



26 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

valuable fertilizer is being lost ; this may be arrested by 
mixing with the compost two or three bushels of land 
plaster to a cart-load of material. If land plaster is not at 
hand, two or three inches of moist soil thrown over the 
pile will arrest the escaping ammonia. The decomposi- 
tion of material may be hastened by adding night-soil or 
undecomposed manure, but it should be distributed evenly 
throughout the entire mass. 

By the proper use of fresh manure, a compost may be 
prepared that will be ready for use in four or five weeks. 

If any one wishes to compost material rapidly, the 
following general directions will be found of service: 
Have on hand about four barrels of manure, such as hen 
manure, cow manure, horse manure, or night-soil ; and 
about five bushels of land plaster. This will be found 
enough to decompose a ton of dry matter, and about 
eight tons of green matter. Place about six inches of 
muck on the bottom of the compost shed and wet it down 
thoroughly. On this put a layer of six or eight inches 
of material to be decomposed ; add a thin layer of manure, 
and so on, till the required amount of material has been 
used. The body of the material should be made com- 
pletely wet; if this is not done it is liable to "burn," 
and lose one of the important elements of plant-food, — 
nitrogen. Finally, mix the land plaster with enough 
fresh earth or thoroughly decomposed muck to cover the 
whole about eight inches thick. The muck in the bottom 
will catch any surplus moisture and save a waste of soluble 
fertilizer. The manure furnishes the germs that set up 
decay, the water distributes these germs and gives them 
the necessary moisture, while the land plaster arrests 



Manures for Vegetable-Gardening in Warm Countries 27 

any escaping ammonia and holds it in an available form. 
Land plaster may be added to each layer of the compost to 
take up any gas as it is formed. The time required for 
decomposition depends largely on the amount of manure 
used and the completeness of the mixing with the coarse 
stuff. Caution should be exercised to keep the pile moist, 
but not wet ; if it is so wet that liquid can be pressed out of 
it by squeezing it in the hand, water must be withheld for 
several days ; when no more water can be pressed out, 
water may again be applied ; if it is too dry much of the 
nitrogen may be lost. This is made apparent by the rising 
of steam or the sending off of ammonia gas, and is easily 
detected by the nostril. If the overheating is due to the 
lack of water, it may be corrected by supplying the needed 
moisture, but sometimes it is necessary to fork the pile over 
to lower the temperature. After a little practice, one is 
able to prepare a heap so that it will not have to be dis- 
turbed until it is to be applied to the field. 

If one has determined for what crop the compost is 
to be used, the proper amount of commercial fertilizer 
may be added as the pile is prepared ; otherwise this 
must be added when the compost is to be used. There 
are two advantages in the use of compost : first, it im- 
proves the mechanical condition of the soil ; and secondly, 
the soluble chemical fertilizer is taken up by the vegetable 
matter and held in suspension much as a sponge holds 
water, thus keeping the rains from leaching it out of the 
soil, and as it is in a more finely divided state, the growing 
plants can absorb it with greater facility. When preparing 
compost, it must be under shelter to keep the water from 
washing out the soluble fertilizer. 



28 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

muck (or peat) 

There has been much said and much written on this 
subject, and many heated discussions have been engaged 
in. Much of the discussion would not have occurred if 
the arguments had been confined closely to the question 
at issue. Usually the only fertilizing element present in 
muck is nitrogen, and this varies widely in different 
samples, from a fraction of 1 per cent in a poor grade to 
two or three in the best. However, if one is sure that the 
soil needs this element, nitrogen, and also wants humus, 
all that is necessary is to get the percentage present in 
the supply, and calculate whether it is cheaper to use this 
source or to get it from some other form. It must be 
remembered that the nitrogen in muck is only slowly 
available, and the amount available is shown only by 
experience. The particular crop to be grown on a given 
piece of land will have much to do with the advisability 
of hauling muck. It is generally conceded that muck is 
an important source of nitrogen and will prove of value 
when properly and intelligently used. 

Besides its good qualities as a fertilizer, muck in a dry 
and powdered form makes one of the best absorbents. 
It is excellent for use in horse stables, cattle sheds, and 
similar places. The moisture is taken up quickly and the 
odor arrested. The importance of saving the urine of 
animals is usually over-looked, mainly because there 
seems to be no handy way of saving it. By using dry 
muck, it is as easily handled as a commercial fertilizer. 



CHAPTER IV 

ROTATION OF CROPS IN VEGETABLE- 
GARDENING 

When a certain crop has been grown for a number of 
years in the same field, the yield often decreases with 
each successive harvest, until, finally, the crop fails to be 
remunerative. When a different vegetable is planted on 
such land it usually yields a paying crop, and after a 
number of years the original crop can again be grown with 
profit. This phenomenon has given rise to the belief by 
some persons that the first crop puts something in the soil 
that is detrimental to itself; others hold that there is 
something taken out of the soil that is afterward restored. 
The latter view may be nearer the truth than the former. 
There are crops, however, that grow "tired" of a certain 
piece of land, or rather the land grows "tired" of a certain 
crop. Some of these instances cannot be explained by 
the exhaustion of certain elements. Certain pieces of 
land in Germany grew tired of growing beets, and were 
"ruben-miide" (beet-tired); after growing certain other 
crops on this land, it would again produce beets in the 
same quantity as at first. Later investigations showed 
that this "beet-tired" condition was due to the presence 
of a microscopic worm closely related to the one that 
causes root-knot on our vegetables. 

29 



30 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Certain crops are able to grow repeatedly on the same 
land without showing any falling off in quantity or quality 
of yield. For example, in an onion-raising district, a 
certain piece of land has grown more than thirty crops of 
onions, and that plot is preferred to-day to any of the sur- 
rounding land. Lawes and Gilbert grew wheat on the 
same carefully weeded plot for forty consecutive years, 
and at the end of that time the land seemed about as good 
for wheat as it was at the beginning of the experiment. 

It is always a good practice, however, to change the crop 
grown in any field from year to year. In making changes 
of crops, they should be as different as possible. It is 
well to plant a field that has just received a good green 
soiling with some gross-feeding crop, as the small grains or 
corn, and then to follow this with vegetables. To follow a 
crop of eggplant with a crop of tomatoes could hardly have 
the force of rotation, inasmuch as the plants use about the 
same fertilizer and harbor about the same insects and 
fungi; cabbage following cauliflower could not be con- 
sidered a rotation for the same reason, but cabbage follow- 
ing tomatoes would be a good rotation. 

In the southern United States, near the Gulf, it is 
possible to have three or even four crops in rotation in a 
single year. Thus at Hastings, Florida, a crop of Irish 
potatoes may be planted in February, and immediately 
after digging the potatoes, corn may be planted. When 
the corn is cultivated for the last time, cowpeas may be 
sown. When these have been harvested, a fall crop of 
Irish potatoes may be planted. These are harvested be- 
fore Christmas. This rotation has been carried out in 
practice. If some other crop, such as fall lettuce, be sub- 



Rotation of Crops in Vegetable-Gardening 31 

stituted for the fall Irish potatoes, we would have a com- 
plete four-crop rotation. 

A rotation should, as a rule, include a crop of some 
legume. This will keep the soil in good condition and 
add to the amount of nitrogen. Otherwise, more nitrogen 
must be applied, as manure or fertilizer. Legumes used 
in Florida in a rotation are velvet beans, beggarweed, 
peanuts, and cowpeas. In other subtropical regions, as 
Egypt, the broad bean is used as a winter forage crop. 
In tropical countries, however, the pigeon pea, green gram 
or woolly pyrol, the jack bean or sword bean, and others 
are used in rotations. 

COVER-CROPS, OR PLANTS USED TO PROTECT AND ENRICH 

SOIL 

The rain that falls on the land during the year leaches 
out much soluble plant-food or fertilizer, unless there is 
some way of holding it in the soil. Fertilizer must be in a 
soluble condition before plants can appropriate it. If there 
are no plants present to appropriate the soluble part of 
the fertilizer, it is evident that the rain will carry this por- 
tion out of the soil into the waterways ; but if plants use 
it at once when it becomes available, it remains on the 
land. When these plants decay, they return this stored-up 
food, and also humus, to the soil. 

Plants as a source of nitrogen. 

The primary source of nitrogen is the air. Nitrogen 
enters plants in different ways; most vegetables take it 
up from the soil, but a few are known to take it from the 



32 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

air indirectly. Plants that do not appropriate it from the 
air are still important conservators of nitrogen, in that 
they take it up from the soil and keep it from wasting, and 
at the end of their life give it back when they decay. This 
class of plants cannot give to the soil more nitrogen than 
they draw out, but they can conserve it for subsequent 
crops. They also accumulate the other soluble elements 
of plant-food. The nitrogen-assimilating plants store 
up varying amounts of this element and give it to the soil 
when they decay, thus actually adding to the supply of 
this important element, and also keeping the other ele- 
ments from wasting. By growing a leguminous cover- 
crop on land for a number of years, and utilizing it care- 
fully, the land becomes richer, until finally it will grow 
full crops. 

The best plants for gathering nitrogen now in cultiva- 
tion in the southern United States are velvet beans, cow- 
peas, and beggarweed. In tropical countries, green gram 
or woolly pyrol, jack bean, Manila bean, Bengal bean, 
pigeon pea, and several other legumes are used. Most 
varieties of cowpeas are severely attacked by the root- 
knot-producing nematode. This should be taken into 
consideration when planting them, as it would mean the 
failure of a subsequent non-immune crop if the field were 
infested with these nematodes. Fortunately there is at 
least one variety of cowpea, the Iron, that seems to be 
resistant to this disease. 

As to the way of using these plants, there is some diver- 
sity of opinion. In clay soil, the plants may be plowed 
under in the green state, but on sandy soils this will not 
be found good practice. 



Rotation of Crops in Vegetable-Gardening 33 

According to Director Stubbs of the Louisiana Agricul- 
tural Experiment Station, it is a detrimental practice in 
the South, and the green manure should be allowed to rot 
before it is plowed under. The decomposition of the 
green matter is said to create a ferment in the soil detri- 
mental to crops that may follow. 

Weeds. 

If the definition that a weed is a plant out of place, is 
accepted, almost any plant may become a weed. On the 
other hand, perhaps almost every weed may, in some way, 
become an economic plant. Most weeds certainly play 
havoc with a crop; they are ever present, springing up, 
it seems spontaneously, to take up the available fertilizer 
that was intended for the crop, thus leaving the seedlings 
in a sickly and weak condition, unable to withstand insect 
attacks and diseases. 

It has been shown very clearly that many weeds harbor 
diseases of crops. Some of the plant diseases are carried 
through the winter by weeds, and in spring produce spores 
which are disseminated to the crops. Other weeds act 
simply as harborers of insects, which leave the weed as 
soon as more refined food can be found. Poke- weed is a 
prolific source of root-knot ; fire- weed multiplies the sclero- 
tium tomato blight ; pepper-grass harbors club-root ; and 
so we might continue a long enumeration of the diseases 
of crops that will grow on weeds. Another pernicious ef- 
fect of weeds is the untidy appearance they present when 
allowed to grow. When dry they invite fire and are 
often the road to the destruction of much property. 



34 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Weeds remove moisture from the soil and so may cause 
serious injury to the crop in dry weather. Abundant 
weeds also prevent the cultivated plants from getting 
enough light when young, causing them to grow spindly, 
and the roots of weeds crowd out those of the crop. 



CHAPTER V 
WATER AND WATERING 

In all branches of vegetable- and fruit-growing, the 
question of watering is an important one ; it is a necessary 
factor from the time the seed is planted to the time the 
crop is harvested. A sufficient amount of water must be 
applied either naturally or artificially. Where water 
can be supplied either by flowing wells or by pumping, 
the vegetable-grower has a considerable advantage over 
his neighbors who have not this supply. In dry seasons 
his crop will not suffer from drought, and the crop will 
bring more money in consequence of the lack of water 
elsewhere. Much of the vegetable land can be supplied 
with water from artesian wells; their usefulness in this 
respect has already been demonstrated. 

Another source of water for use in vegetable-growing, 
and one that is not being employed to the extent to which 
it might be advantageously used, is the flow of streams. 
In many cases there is enough flowing water to supply all 
or a great part of the land with water in dry times. Water 
may be raised to a considerable height by the use of a 
hydraulic ram. One of these machines will operate with- 
out any attention after it has been put in place and set to 
running. A single discharge may be quite small, yet when 
it runs twenty-four hours without stopping, a considerable 
amount of water has been lifted. The amount of water 

35 



36 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

that one of these machines will raise depends on the height 
it is being raised and the amount that is flowing in the 
stream which supplies the water. Under the most favor- 
able conditions, a ram will raise f of the flowing water 
4 feet, if there is a fall of 2 feet ; or it may raise gV °f the 
water 120 feet above the source if there is a fall of 12 feet. 
The amount raised varies inversely as the height to which 
it is to be elevated. These rams are made in various sizes 
to suit the conditions ; they are made to discharge from 
| to 30 and even more gallons a minute. The cost of these 
machines varies from $9 to over $100. Like all other 
machines they will in time wear out, but their structure is 
so simple as rarely to get out of order. The manner of 
placing the tank or reservoir must be modified to suit the 
individual fields. 

Windmills are more largely employed for lifting water 
to tanks ; but they are more difficult to keep in repair and 
also wear out in a few years. Gasoline engines are now 
commonly used and are most satisfactory; though they 
are the most expensive of the various machines used for 
the purpose of lifting water. 

Some method of irrigation is of great use in tropical 
countries. Indeed without irrigation, vegetables can 
hardly be raised during the dry season, which often in- 
cludes most of the cool season. In tradewind regions, an 
aermotor usually gives satisfaction as a means of raising 
water. 

IRRIGATION 

Climatic conditions in most tropical and subtropical 
countries are such that during a part of the year there is 





Plate I. — Irrigation. 

Top, wooden sluice for conducting water to cucumbers and other crops, 
with V-shaped troughs to carry the water and also to be used to protect 
plants from frost ; bottom, sub-irrigation of celery field, showing head- 
boxes. 



Water and Watering 37 

likely to be an over-supply of moisture, and at another 
part of the year the rainfall is likely to be deficient. The 
irrigation plant, of whatever type, becomes extremely 
useful during the dry part of the year. Many of the vege- 
tables not now grown in these regions will thrive 
luxuriantly if only a sufficient and constant water supply 
is at hand. (See Plate I.) 

Over-head irrigation. 

Under the general head of over-head irrigation are in- 
cluded all kinds of irrigation in which nozzles, pipes, and 
other appliances are used for distributing water above the 
surface of the ground. This is not an economical way to 
use the water, and a considerable quantity is lost by evap- 
oration, since the particles are thrown into the atmosphere 
in the form of drops of water, and in a windy time much of 
the moisture is carried away. It has an advantage over 
the other systems of irrigation in that it is applicable to 
any kind of soil, no matter whether the surface is uneven or 
broken. An almost endless variety of nozzles for distribut- 
ing water by this system may be secured and the varia- 
tions are as extensive as the ingenuity of the vegetable- 
growers. 

One essential part of such a plant is the central tank, 
placed on a tower or elevation of about 60 feet above the 
field to be irrigated. This gives sufficient pressure to 
operate the nozzles that are designed for this purpose, or 
approximately 30 pounds pressure. The size of the tank 
for holding the water will be determined by the area of 
the land to be irrigated at one time. The main object of 
the elevation of the water is to give uniform pressure. 



38 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

For a vegetable field of 4 to 6 acres in extent, a 3000-gallon 
tank is ample. A steel tank and tower, including its 
erection, costs approximately $500. 

A second essential part is the pumping plant. A six 
to eight horse-power gasoline or alcohol engine with pump 
of suitable capacity will serve for this purpose. The cost 
of the engine and pump, with cost of installing, will vary 
according to the location and the make of the machinery, 
but $400 to $600 is ample to purchase and install such 
machinery in first-class condition. 

The third essential of this plant is the pipe line. For an 
area of 4 to 6 acres in extent, it is desirable to have the 
main line of 3-inch pipe. This can be reduced to 2§-inch 
pipe toward the end of the line. The laterals will be at- 
tached to this main line. These should be about 200 
to 350 feet in length, starting with a 1-inch pipe at the main 
line and running at this size for 150 or 200 feet. The re- 
mainder of it may be reduced to f-inch pipe. These 
laterals may be placed on the tops of posts 7 feet tall, to 
get the pipe out of the way of laborers and work animals. 
In the side of this pipe, at 4 foot intervals, are holes drilled 
with T L-inch bit. This forms a rather crude way of dis- 
tributing the water, but proves to be serviceable. A better 
and more serviceable form will be found by using a T 3 g— inch 
bit for drilling the holes and then inserting brass nozzles 
manufactured for this purpose. These have a Y§~inch 
opening and deliver the water more evenly than does the 
rough opening made by a bit. A number of makes of 
these nozzles may be had on the market. In using this 
form for distributing the water, the lateral pipes are 
laid 50 feet apart. A 30-pound pressure from the tank will 



Water and Watering 39 

be sufficient to throw the water through one-half the dis- 
tance between the two lateral lines. The lateral pipe is 
connected with a universal union near the elbow at the 
top of the riser from the ground. This enables the 
operator to turn the pipes resting on the posts in such a 
way as to distribute the water evenly over a space about 
50 feet broad. The cost of installing such a line will vary 
with the amount and cost of large pipe and other material 
needed, but $250 to $300 an acre is a sufficient amount to 
allow for a 4- to 6-acre plant. 

Many of the plants run the laterals underground and 
have one-inch risers, on the top of which are placed the 
distributing nozzles. The distance between the distribut- 
ing lines and the distance between the various risers on the 
distributing line will vary with the make of nozzle used 
and the pressure employed. This nozzle system requires 
somewhat more piping than does the system with laterals 
on the tops of posts. 

Surface irrigation. 

When a surface irrigation system is installed, it is 
necessary to have the soil of a close compact nature. It 
must contain a great deal of clay, otherwise the distribu- 
tion of water in the vegetable field will be somewhat diffi- 
cult and uneven. The field must also be quite even and 
have a uniform slope. This system of distributing water 
has been in vogue for so many centuries and in so many 
different countries that it is hardly necessary to describe 
it. The one difficulty to be overcome in the vegetable 
field is that the water must be applied in furrows rather 
near the rows of vegetables. For closely-planted vege- 



40 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

tables it is sufficient to run one water furrow between 
the rows. 

The length of the laterals for distributing the water will 
vary with the character of the soil. In a very sandy soil 
it is difficult to run the water for a distance of more than 
300 to 600 feet, where the slope is about 3 inches to the 
100 feet. Some considerable experience is necessary to 
run the water in furrows in a sandy soil, the most important 
consideration being that of delivering a large volume of 
water, about 2 inches, and running it quickly down a dry 
and well-prepared furrow. If the slope is even and the 
soil has been well prepared, an experienced person has no 
great difficulty in distributing the water in this way unless 
he attempts to distribute it for more than 600 feet. 

The advantage of this form of irrigation is that it is very 
economical of the use of water and that it has been in use 
for many centuries and thus is familiar to many persons ; 
its disadvantages lie in that it is applicable only to lands 
having a proper slope and consistency, and that it requires 
experienced laborers when used on sandy lands. 

Sub-irrigation. 

The sub-irrigation system which is also used for a drain- 
age system during the rainy season, is one of the most 
satisfactory that can be employed in the vegetable fields. 
Its application is limited to lands having an even and 
very uniform slope. One must also have an impervious 
substratum as well as a large water supply. It is more 
adaptable to a loamy or to a sandy soil than to a clay soil. 

The essential part of this system is a series of tile drains 
laid out in proper conformity to the slope of the land. 



Water and Watering 41 

Nearly all of the failures connected with the sub-irrigation 
system can be traced directly to this point. Too fre- 
quently the tile line is laid out by crude and inaccurate 
instruments, such as a spirit level. The line of tile may be 
laid at varying distances from 16 to 40 feet apart, according 
to the porousness of the soil. 

Such a system should be laid out by means of a sur- 
veyor's level and the stakes set as accurately as is done for 
drainage systems. These various lines of tile are laid 
out and then run to the main. The length of the laterals 
will depend upon the convenience of the owner and the 
character of the vegetables to be grown upon the soil. 
In laying out such a system, it should be carried out 
exactly as if it was intended for drainage only. The 
length of the laterals will vary according to the contour of 
the land and the desires of the owner. From 200 to 600 
feet is usually considered a fair length for a lateral. The 
tiles are usually made of clay and for the main part porous, 
though glazed tile may be employed. The 3-inch size is 
considered most satisfactory. 

The depth to which these are laid will vary from a few 
inches to several feet. If it is necessary to have good 
drainage during the rainy season, the tile can be laid 
rather deeply in the soil. If, however, drainage is of second- 
ary importance the tile may be laid higher. In any case 
they should be laid not less than 12 or 14 inches below the 
surface, since it frequently becomes necessary to plow to 
this depth in a vegetable field. 

When these tiles are laid in the soil they should be on a 
perfectly even slope. The joints between the tiles must be 
protected by the use of some substance such as Spanish 



42 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

moss which occurs abundantly in tropical and subtropical 
regions, cypress shingle tow, or other organic matter of a 
lasting quality. This strains out the sand and other 
material that is likely to filter into the tile between the 
joints and clog the system. 

At the point where the laterals join the main distributing 
pipe, specially prepared boxes are inserted. These boxes 
may be made of cement, earthenware, or even of durable 
lumber. These head-boxes are usually about 14 by 18 
inches and long enough to reach below the depth of the 
tile and still protrude several inches above the ground. 
About midway of these boxes is a partition running from 
the bottom to the top. Two holes are made through this 
partition, one even with the holes that receive the ends of 
the main line and the other as high as the level of the 
ground. The holes in the head-boxes which receive the 
laterals are placed on the same side of the partition as 
the inlet of the main. When the lower hole in the partition 
is opened, the water flows freely from the end of the main 
entering the box through the hole in the middle and out of 
the exit end of the main. When the lower hole in the 
middle of the box is closed, the water flowing through the 
main fills the box and runs out into the laterals. This 
continues until the soil supplied by the laterals is thoroughly 
saturated. When any surplus water is applied after this, 
the water continues to flow through the upper hole in the 
partition in the middle of the box. 

As soon as the field has been sufficiently irrigated to suit 
the operator, the flow of water is stopped in the main and 
the stopper taken out of the lower hole and the water 
run off. (See bottom figure, Plate I.) 



CHAPTER VI 

SEEDS AND SEED-SOWING 

Considerable difficulty is experienced in the matter of 
seed-sowing, especially if the crop is to be sown in the 
field. Some small seeds, as turnips, are very difficult to 
sow evenly by hand ; but, fortunately, this has been over- 
come in a measure by the invention of a machine to do 
this work. Even with a machine, there is room for 
exercise of judgment ; seeds of the same variety are not 
all the same size, and the average size varies to a con- 
siderable extent. 

How to test a machine. 

Before sowing with a machine, it is necessary to know 
just how it will sow. The marks put on by the manufac- 
turer are only approximately correct, on account of the 
variation in the size of the seed. The machine can be 
regauged for the particular seed in hand by running it 
over a piece of canvas that has been spread down for the 
occasion. The length of the row on the canvas can be 
measured and the amount of seed also ; this reduces the 
matter to simple computation, and the seed can readily 
be taken up and returned to the bag unharmed. Seeds 
obtained from different sources will be found to vary 
considerably in size ; these seeds of different sizes should 
be planted separately, and it may be necessary to regauge 

43 



44 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the machine. It has been found by experiment that there 
is a wide difference in the value of the different sizes of 
seed. If radish seed is taken from a single plant and 
graded into sizes, the largest will germinate and produce 
a marketable vegetable first, and nearly all the seed pro- 
duce good radishes ; the second size seed will mature next 
and so on until the smallest grade is reached, which will 
produce radishes last, and then only inferior roots. 

Choosing the varieties. 

In this day of specialization, varieties are almost end- 
less; new ones are brought to notice daily. Sometimes 
it seems that the prices paid for these are excessive, es- 
pecially when there are already first-class vegetables of 
the same general kind. It is misdirected economy, 
however, to buy an inferior variety. The difference of a 
few dollars less at seed-time often works a damage of 
many times that amount at harvest-time. Nurserymen 
and seedsmen prefer to destroy inferior seed or culls of 
varieties they hold in esteem. This is a commendable 
practice to apply to all varieties by those who grow seed, 
for inferior seed wastes the time of the person giving atten- 
tion to it, and damages the reputation of the variety. 

Quantity of seed to sow. 

The following table gives the amount of seed required 
for an acre, and also the amount to sow on a smaller area. 
The last column is for the convenience of those who do 
not wish to grow the vegetable for market. A slight ac- 
quaintance with the seeds will make one aware at once 
that these figures can only be approximately correct. 



Seeds and Seed-Sowing 



45 



Only the leading vegetables are here tabulated ; the 
amount of seed required must be sought in the special 
discussion of those vegetables : 



Name of Plant 


Quantity fob One 

Acre 


Quantity for Smaller 
Area 


Asparagus 


5 lb. 


1 OZ. 


to 100 ft. drill 


Beans, bush sorts . 






l|bu. 


1 qt. 


to 150 ft. drill 


Beans, pole . . 






ibu. 


1 qt. 


to 200 hills 


Beets . . 










10 lb. 


1 OZ. 


to 100 ft. drill 


Cabbage . 










5 oz. 


1 OZ. 


to 100 ft. drill 


Cauliflower 










5 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 100 ft. drill 


Celery . . 










32 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 500 ft. drill 


Collards 










4 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 100 ft. drill 


Corn (sweet) 










8 qt. 


1 qt. 


to 500 hills 


Cucumbers 










If lb. 


1 oz. 


to 90 hills 


Eggplant 










3 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 500 ft. drill 


Lettuce 










3 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 250 ft. drill 


Melon, musk 








If lb. 


1 oz. 


to 100 hills 


Melon, water 








1J lb. 


1 oz. 


to 25 hills 


Okra ... 








10 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 50 ft. drill 


Onions . . 








4 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 200 ft. drill 


Onion sets 








8 bu. 


1 qt. 


to 30 ft. drill 


Peas, English 








l|bu. 


1 qt. 


to 150 ft. drill 


Peas, cow 








1 bu. 






Pepper . . 








4 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 500 ft. drill 


Potatoes, Irish 








10 bu. 






Potatoes, sweet 








(refer to subject) 






Radish . . 








8 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 150 ft. drill 


Salsify . . . 








8 lb. 


1 oz 


to 150 ft. drill 


Spinach . . 








10 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 150 ft. drill 


Squash, summer 








2 lb. 


1 oz. 


to 40 hills 


Squash, winter 








3 lb. 


1 oz 


to 10 hills 


Tomato . . 








3 oz. 


1 oz. 


to 500 ft. drill 


Turnips . . 








If lb. 


1 oz 


to 250 ft. drill 



46 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

SEED-GROWING 

Seed-growing has not been followed to a decided extent 
in the South, and yet it is highly commendable. It re- 
quires considerable forethought and work to grow the best 
seed. In some thickly settled countries of Europe, large 
estates are devoted entirely to the growing of some special 
seed, either because of some peculiar natural advantage or 
because of the special skill of the grower. The Nether- 
lands are peculiarly adapted to bulb-raising, Denmark to 
raising cauliflower seed ; and thus we might perhaps con- 
tinue until nearly all the countries of Europe had been 
named. The possibilities in this direction for the South, 
especially the Gulf region, are great ; the climatic condi- 
tions in many respects are perfect, while labor is fairly 
cheap. Long experience in India with seeds of onion, 
cauliflower, kohlrabi, English peas, globe artichoke, tur- 
nips, and so on, has shown that for the hotter part, lower 
Bengal, acclimated seed, that is seed produced in a warm 
country, produces better plants than seed direct from 
Europe. The plants from the latter run more to leaf 
and often do not flower, and are more subject to disease. 
Also Bermuda onion seed grown in Teneriffe is the best 
for Florida and the West Indies. Hence it is probable that 
acclimated seed would often or usually be found best in 
tropical countries near sea-level and that it is preferable 
to obtain seed grown in a climate as near as possible to 
that of the locality where the plants are to be raised. 

Hoiv to select plants. 

In growing for seed, one should never retain a sickly or 
diseased plant, because these often transmit a tendency to 



Seeds and Seed-Soiving 47 

invite disease to the product. Only the healthiest and 
most desirable plants of a variety are good for seed. Some 
vegetables cannot be raised from home-grown seed ; 
in some cases the seed does not mature, and in others the 
plants from the home-grown seed are inferior ; a striking 
example of the latter class is the Bermuda onion. After 
the finest specimens of the variety have been selected, the 
plant should be allowed to mature the seed thoroughly 
before gathering. There are two directions in which one 
may select : first, one may select the best specimens of 
plants from the standpoint of growth and shape ; secondly, 
one may select the finest specimens of fruit regardless of 
the growth of the plant. Neither of these methods is 
perfect alone, for one should select good fruits on good 
plants. By such selecting, the variety is constantly im- 
proved until the improvement finally makes a new strain 
which will not have the defects of its ancestors. 

It sometimes occurs that a plant appears which is strik- 
ingly different from the others in the field. Such plants 
are often designated "sports"; the seed from these will 
reproduce their peculiarities, and by selecting the typical 
specimens from the product of such sports, new varieties 
may be originated. 

In tropical and subtropical countries there is much to be 
done in the way of seed-saving. Experience in India, for 
example, has shown that the seeds of many vegetables 
grown in a warm climate will produce plants that bear 
well when plants from seeds imported from Europe run 
to leaf only. But in most tropical countries, and even in 
Florida, nearly all vegetable seed is still imported. There 
is a neglected field in the improvement of many tropical 



48 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

crops such as the pigeon-pea, chayote, Manila bean, jack 
bean, tropical maize, and the like, which are at present 
grown from seed only. If the same selection were applied 
to these as is applied by the nurserymen of the United 
States and Europe to such plants as the tomato, cabbage, 
and lettuce, they would, like these latter plants, have 
visibly improved varieties coming out nearly every year. 
The vegetable-gardening world greatly needs a few sub- 
tropical seed-raisers and one or more tropical plant- 
breeders. 

SEED-TESTING 

As so much depends on having seed that will germinate 
readily, it is very important to know exactly what to expect 
in the matter. No vegetable-grower should omit testing 
the germinating power of his seeds before sowing them on a 
large scale. He thus saves time and money. The process 
is simple. A hundred seeds are put between two folds of 
clean moist cloth between two pans or plates and kept 
at a proper temperature. The percentage that form roots 
is counted after a few days. A very simple method is to 
sow the seed in sand or soil in a pan that can be kept con- 
stantly moist and warm. There is considerable risk con- 
nected with this method and one needs to exercise much 
care and judgment. The amount of soil in one of these 
pans will be small, and easily chilled and overheated. A 
modification of the above is to cover the soil with a cloth, 
sow the seed on this, cover the seed with another cloth, 
and put about half an inch of moist sand on this cloth. 
The advantage of this way is that the seeds can easily be 
examined and in case of their rotting, there is no delay in 



Seeds and Seed-Sowing 49 

finding it out. The seed also may be tested in a hotbed 
or coldframe, using the same precautions as when a pan is 
used. 

Several states have seed-control laboratories under the 
direction of their agricultural experiment stations. These 
institutions test the vitality of the seeds offered for sale 
and examine them as to purity, thus protecting the buyers 
from frauds and encouraging improvements in these 
directions. It is to be hoped that much more will be 
accomplished along this line. 

SEED-STORING 

The length of time seeds may be stored without losing 
their vitality depends largely upon the variety and the 
condition in which they are kept. To keep well, seeds 
should be well-matured and preserved in a dry apartment. 
Much has been said as to the germinating power of seeds 
that have been kept for hundreds of years, but these re- 
ports lack confirmation by scientists. Some seeds that 
have been kept dry for thirty and forty years have ger- 
minated ; and recently, there is an accurate account of a 
few seeds out of many retaining their germinating power for 
more than eighty years ; but in all of these cases this power 
had been greatly impaired. A few seeds, like those of the 
cucumber, retain their vitality under proper conditions for 
ten years ; some other seeds lose their vitality during the 
first year, under the most favorable conditions. In the 
wet season, especially of subtropical and tropical countries, 
most seeds lose their vitality much faster than they do in 
temperate climates. Heat and damp together ruin nearly 



50 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

all seeds. In damp climates, between the tropics, one 
cannot put packets of seeds in a drawer and keep them 
for years. Most seeds have to be well dried and stored 
in sealed bottles. Many seeds deteriorate on the voyage 
from temperate to tropical regions, unless they are specially 
dried, stored in cans, and soldered up. An easy way to 
keep valuable seeds in a damp, hot tropical climate is to 
store them in stoppered jars or tin boxes, sealed with 
paraffin, and place with them a package of fused calcium 
chloride or lumps of quick-lime to dry them well. Most 
seeds will endure such desiccation without injury and are 
then uninjured by the shade heat of tropical countries, 
which is rarely over 100° F. Where cold storage is avail- 
able, a cheap way is to put the seeds in water-tight boxes 
in the ice-house. This question of keeping seeds is of 
great importance to all agriculturists in the hot belt of 
the earth. 

TROPICAL SEEDS 

The tropical vegetable-grower may wish to know, in 
the absence of nurserymen in the tropics, where he may 
get new kinds of the different vegetables peculiar to the 
tropics. In most cases he must go somewhere near the 
original home of the vegetable in question. 

Thus, for new varieties of plantain, recourse should be 
had to Java especially, and to the neighboring regions; 
for varieties of taro, to Hawaii and other Pacific Islands ; 
for the tannias, to Porto Rico and other of the Spanish 
West Indies and the neighboring mainland ; for cassava, to 
tropical and subtropical South America, especially Brazil, 
Colombia, and Paraguay; for papayas and chayotes, to 



Seeds and Seed-Sowing 51 

Central America and the West Indies; for different 
yamSj to southeastern Asia, Pacific Islands, and West 
Indies. 

Tropical seeds may be procured from dealers in Ceylon, 
British India, South Africa, and Australia, or by exchange 
with the botanical gardens in many tropical countries. 
Subtropical seeds and roots can be had from nurserymen 
and seedsmen in California, Florida, Cape Colony, Natal, 
New South Wales, Queensland, Japan, and the Mediterra- 
nean region. 



CHAPTER VII 

PLANTING 

It is worth while to take much pains to protect young 
vegetable plants and to give them the very best conditions 
to get a start in life. Much of the subsequent result will 
depend on this care in the beginning. Gardeners go to 
much expense and labor to provide such protection and 
to secure earliness. The various kinds of frames and 
seed-beds may therefore be discussed. 

COLDFRAMES 

Four points should be borne in mind when one is select- 
ing the place for a coldframe. (1) It must be sheltered 
from cold winds, that is, it should be in a warm spot; 
there should be a windbreak of some kind ; the bed should 
be free to the full sun all day (the south side of the barn 
may be used in some cases). (2) It must be protected 
from rains ; the dripping of eaves must be carried away 
and the surface drained so that water will not run under. 
(3) Water must be near at hand, or the needed supply 
may not be applied. (4) It must be near one's house or 
near one's daily work, so as to require the least possible 
time to look after it. 

Glazed sashes are of value in using a coldframe success- 
fully, but they are not indispensable. These sashes can 

52 



Planting 53 

be purchased set up and glazed in various sizes ; probably 
the most convenient size is three feet by six feet, which 
can be obtained in the market for about $1.50 apiece. In 
the colder parts of the subtropics, only a few days occur 
during the usual winters when the thermometer will re- 
main below freezing if the sun shines. When glazed sashes 
are not used, some form of cloth will be required. There 
may be found on the market a cloth prepared for that 
purpose; this comes in three grades. The best of these 
grades will be found the cheapest in the end. By using a 
double thickness of the best cloth, eggplants were carried 
through a freeze of 14° F., in a hotbed, when the tempera- 
ture remained below the freezing point for several days. 
As eggplants are among the most tender plants, it will 
readily be understood that other ordinary plants can be 
carried through easily. During the same freeze, lettuce- 
plants came through safely under a single thickness of cloth 
over a coldframe. 

The best width for a coldframe is 6 feet. At this width, 
all the cultivating and other attention can be given without 
entering the frame, and lumber cuts economically to this 
length. The length of the frame must depend upon in- 
dividual desire and preparation. Beds made 6 feet wide 
are run east and west, but if it is desirable to run the beds 
north and south, they should be made 12 feet wide. In 
such a frame, the cloth is fastened to a pole along the 
middle as a ridge-pole, and allowed to unroll roof-shape 
on each side. All materials used in the construction may 
be 1 inch thick. The back or north sides should be 26 
inches high, and the south sides 10 inches high. When 
glazed sashes are used, a pitch of 4 inches is sufficient — 



54 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

that is, the front is made 10 inches high and the back 
14. But experience has taught that this pitch is not suffi- 
cient for frames covered with plant-cloth. The sides are 
nailed to 4-inch boards that are driven into the ground 
6 feet apart. The ends of the frame are trimmed to an 
even slope. At intervals of 6 feet, 3-inch pieces are dove- 
tailed into the front and back, to steady the sides, and to 
hold the protecting cloth from bagging. 

The protecting cloth is sewn into a sheet large enough to 
cover an entire frame. The seams run crosswise for 
obvious reasons. The sheet is fastened to the back and 
then stretched over the frame ; and just far enough over 
the front to press the cloth down tightly, a strip is nailed 
to serve as a roller for a curtain. By turning at one end, 
the whole curtain may be raised and fastened at the top ; 
when it is wanted for use, the fastening is loosened and 
the curtain unrolls itself, at the same time shutting the 
whole frame up for the night. The woodwork and cloth 
for a frame 6 feet wide and 30 feet long should not cost more 
than $2.50. 

The soil in coldframes should be made very fertile by 
using commercial fertilizer, or, preferably, compost. Make 
the soil about 6 inches deep, using as much well-rotted 
compost as soil. The fertilizer if used must be worked 
in thoroughly, and the frame thus prepared allowed to 
stand ten days or two weeks, all the time keeping it 
thoroughly moistened. A coldframe is as valuable in 
the summer as in the winter. In the summer, the cloth 
is raised to allow the air to pass under, thus protecting 
small plants from the scorching sun. In the management 
of a coldframe, and of a hotbed, plenty of water is 



Planting 55 

indispensable, and it must be applied in liberal quantities 
daily. 

Cheese-cloth may be put over a frame to screen seedlings 
from the sun, and mosquito-bar will keep insects away from 
young cabbages, and the like. 

HOTBEDS 

This convenient form of plant-bed is perhaps not as 
generally used in the almost f rostless regions as it merits ; 
probably from the fact that many persons do not under- 
stand the principles underlying its successful operation. 
It is used to grow early plants of eggplant, tomato, and 
other vegetables which will not endure any frost. 

When undecomposed manure, leaves, or other vegetable 
matter begin to decay, a certain amount of heat is given 
off ; if the pile is large and in a compact heap, the amount 
of heat evolved will be considerable. This is due to the 
breaking down of the vegetable matter through the actions 
of low forms of life, such as bacteria and molds. This 
breaking down takes place in the presence of moisture ; 
vegetable matter stored in a dry state will remain unde- 
composed for an indefinite time. It is possible for every 
one who keeps a horse or cow to provide himself with a 
hotbed. 

During the early part of the season the manure may be 
stored away dry, and kept so ; and when the time to fix a 
hotbed arrives, it may be prepared in a similar way to a 
compost heap. 

The same four points should be borne in mind when one 
is selecting the place for a hotbed as when locating a cold- 
frame. See page 52. 



56 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The frame for a hotbed is made like that of a coldframe 
and covered with glazed sash or plant-cloth. 

When the frame for the hotbed has been completed, 
the undecomposed manure is placed in it to the depth of 
6 to 10 inches. It is usually necessary to remove some of 
the earth inside the frame ; this can be used to bank it on 
the outside. As the manure is placed in the frame, it 
should be thoroughly soaked and tramped down. In two 
or three days this will begin to heat, and will continue to 
rise in temperature for eight or ten days, and will often 
rise high, running considerably over a hundred degrees. 
If the bed is kept moist (and this can be tested by digging 
into parts of it), there is no danger of its " burning." This 
does not mean that there is any danger of its actually 
generating fire, but the material becomes dry and dis- 
charges valuable fertilizing quality in the form of gases, 
and hence is about destroyed. When large quantities of 
fresh manure are used, the gardeners dump it in piles and 
fork it over every day or two to keep it cool enough, 
and at the end of ten days or two weeks place it in the 
hotbed. 

After the manure has been placed in the frame, an inch 
of fresh loam should be spread over it, to arrest any gases 
that may be escaping. After about ten days of fermenting, 
the manure has reached its highest temperature, and seed 
can be sown in the loam without danger. From this time 
on, the temperature falls gradually, until decomposition 
is complete. 

The only advantage of a hotbed over a coldframe is 
that the decomposing matter gives off heat, and the 
amount of heat given off will vary with the amount of 



Planting 57 

manure used. If one desires to keep a bed especially 
warm, the frame may be banked outside with fresh 
manure. 

PLANT-SHEDS 

In Florida it has been found advantageous to grow the 
choicer kinds of pineapples under sheds. These sheds 
may be made by setting 8|-foot posts S feet apart north 
and south, by 14 feet east and west. Stringers 2 by 6 
inches and 15 feet long are fastened on the tops of the 
posts in east and west lines. Across the stringers are 
nailed the laths or slats, which may be 1 or 3 inches by 16 
feet; or laths supported by wires may be used. The 
spaces between the slats may be once, twice, or thrice the 
width of a slat. These sheds were first started to give 
protection from frosts, but it was found that pineapples 
under sheds grew better and required less fertilizer, and 
the soil kept moister in dry weather, than was the case 
with those in the open. Similar sheds are now used in 
south Florida nurseries to shelter young mangoes, avoca- 
does, palms, and other tropical plants and fruit-trees. 
The so-called grass conservatories, used in India for grow- 
ing plants which do not endure well the full blaze of the 
sun in the hot season, are made in a similar way, except 
that they are covered with wire netting on which a reed- 
like grass is bound so as to give half-light and half-shade. 
In most tropical and some subtropical countries, bamboos 
can readily be grown and a plant-shed covered with split 
bamboo lath can be constructed cheaply. However, 
most tropical plant-sheds are small, whereas some Florida 
pineapple sheds cover scores of acres continuously. The 



58 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

mistake must not be made of letting creepers grow over 
the top of the shed, and so shut out nearly all light. With 
most of the sunlight cut off, plants make a poor growth and 
may easily become diseased. In fact, one of the ad- 
vantages of plant-sheds in the tropics, as distinguished 
from shading by palm leaves, woven coconut leaves, and 
the like, is that by proper spacing of the laths the plants 
can be allowed the maximum of sunlight with which 
they will thrive best. There is often a tendency to use 
too much shade. In making a plant-shed, it should always 
be kept in mind that a plant can feed on the carbon 
dioxide of the air only in the light, and that an amount 
of shade which is comfortable to a man in the tropics is 
detrimental to most plants. Certain experiments make it 
probable that under such large plant-sheds, the culture of 
many temperate vegetables would be easier in tropical 
and subtropical lands. This does not seem to have been 
tried on a large scale, but it appears worth attempting 
near some tropical towns where there would be a con- 
stant demand for fresh temperate vegetables. Such 
sheds would probably be very successful at an elevation 
of 1000 or 2000 feet. 



SEED-BEDS AND PLANT-BEDS 

Seed-beds should be of porous soil and well drained. 
After sowing the seeds, protection from the sun may be 
given by spreading coarse sacking on the soil and keeping 
it wet until the seedlings become visible above the earth. 
Then they may be shaded by a properly spaced lath frame, 
or by cheese-cloth. The latter is especially useful when 



Planting 59 

the seedlings are liable to insect attacks, in which case it 
may be fastened to a plank frame. Lath frames of differ- 
ent spacings may be used gradually to accustom the seed- 
lings to the sun. (See Plate V.) 

Seedlings, after growing to a size easily handled, are 
planted in a bed for further maturing ; this is especially 
so when large quantities of tomato, cabbage, or celery 
plants are wanted. The advantage of having these plants 
in as small a space as practicable is apparent to all. The 
plant-bed must be fertile, and plenty of water must be at 
hand to be used in case of need. The ground should be 
raked carefully, the fertilizer applied, and the bed spaded 
or plowed and then raked again. The bed should lie a 
week or ten days to allow the fertilizer to be incorporated, 
when the plants may be set out. Plants should not be 
allowed to become checked in their growth at any time. It 
does plants good to be transferred several times, and with 
some vegetables such transplanting is profitable; but 
for plants to come to a standstill for want of water or 
fertilizer works a detriment that is strikingly noticeable 
in the crop. Hence, in the transplantings, care should 
be taken as to moisture, temperature, and soil, so that 
growth may not be checked. 



PREPARATION OF THE LAND 

To make vegetable-growing a success, it is necessary 
to select the proper kind of land. Nearly all vegetables 
like a sandy loam or some other rather light soil, that is 
at the same time well drained and yet not thirsty. 



60 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Well-drained land. 

It frequently occurs that the very best vegetable land 
is soggy and sour in its original state. When a piece of 
land is found that is excellent in all other respects, but 
needs to be well drained, the problem then is, how shall 
this be effected. When there is plenty of fall to the land, 
this may be accomplished in one of two ways — either by 
surface drainage or by underground drainage. The latter 
method is preferable and cheaper in the end, though more 
expensive in the beginning. 

The method of surface drainage has the advantage of 
being cheap and easily accomplished, though it takes some 
time and attention to keep it in good running order. The 
method is simple. All that is necessary is to make a ditch 
from one to three feet deep and to keep this open so that 
the water will run off. 

The advantage of draining has been demonstrated 
repeatedly in this country and in Europe. Plants on 
tile-drained land, and to a greater or less degree on land 
with open ditches, will do better during a rainy season, 
and, what seems rather contradictory, they will give a 
larger yield in dry years. Crops are also earlier on 
drained fields. In a clay country, land that is well 
drained naturally will be benefited by a well-planned 
system of tile drains. Where land that is naturally 
well drained can be obtained, this is of course preferable, 
as it does away with the initial expense of draining; 
but, on the other hand, it should be remembered that the 
land producing the largest and most profitable crop is 
drained land. 



Planting 61 

Clearing the land. 

In making a beginning in vegetable-growing, it is best 
to start aright. The greater part of our unimproved land 
has to be cleared, and this should be done thoroughly; 
every stalk, stick, or chunk should be removed from the 
field. It is a waste of time and money to go into vegetable- 
growing as a temporary vocation; it is as deserving of 
and demands as constant and careful attention as any 
other branch of horticulture. Therefore if one can only 
half clear ten acres, it would be better completely to clear 
five acres. It has been seen repeatedly that a small 
piece of land well taken care of brings a greater return than 
double the amount poorly cared for. The familiar adage, 
"What is worth doing, is worth doing well," has full force 
in vegetable-growing. 

Plowing. 

If the soil is light and sandy, deep plowing may prove 
detrimental to a field that is to be planted immediately, 
but some time during the year it should be stirred deeply 
and well. The subsoil is often so hard that the roots of 
the plant cannot enter, and so must remain near the sur- 
face and be at the mercy of any short drought that may 
occur; whereas, if the soil were twice as deep, it could 
stand a much longer drought. Many subsoils do not 
allow the water to soak through them ; other subsoils 
let the surplus water through slowly. In either case, 
the mechanical condition of the soil would be improved 
by an occasional deep plowing. Besides giving the roots a 
greater feeding space, the tilling of the soil acts as a kind 



62 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

of regulator ; it makes soggy land drier and dry land to 
conserve the moisture in time of drought. A cultivated 
soil can hold more water without being soggy than one 
not tilled ; in a sudden shower a plowed field will retain 
all the water and give the roots of plants a chance to ab- 
sorb the fertilizer before it is carried off. Much of our 
sandy soil allows the fertilizer to be leached out by the 
rains and retains not even a trace in the soluble form ; but 
if this water were retained in the soil the fertilizer would 
be retained also. The amount of water a soil can retain 
depends upon the constituent particles of that soil. 

TRANSPLANTING 

Soon after plants that have been sown in a seed-bed 
begin to show the second or third leaf, they will need to be 
shifted and set further apart, or they will grow spindly. 
Then, also, their root system will be developed very poorly, 
and after transplanting they will either have to change 
their entire make-up as a plant or die ; either one of the 
two is expensive, as it loses time for the vegetable-grower. 
Some plants, as cabbage and cauliflower, will do well with 
one shifting; others, as tomatoes and eggplants, will do 
better when shifted, two or three times. A very good way 
is to grow the plants from seed in a hotbed, then shift 
them to a coldframe; this will have to be many times 
larger than the hotbed to hold the same plants. It will 
not take long for the plants to fill the space allowed them 
(for distance and other special points refer to the accounts 
of the special crops) ; then another transfer will have to be 
made either to a coldframe or to a plant-bed, depending on 



Planting 63 

the variety and the time of the year. As mentioned 
before, the soil should contain much vegetable matter. If 
this precaution is taken, it will not be necessary to wait 
for a rain or to use water in transplanting. If paper pots 
(which can be bought for two or three dollars a thousand) 
are used, the plant can be transplanted from the plant-bed 
to the field quickly and without any shock. 

In fertilizing the land preparatory to transplanting, the 
material should be worked in and mixed with the soil 
thoroughly. No matter how small the particles of fer- 
tilizer may be in the soil, the plants will find them. A 
thorough distribution is very necessary. Plants cannot 
take in such substances wholesale ; while some kinds of 
fertilizer do not kill a plant when used in big lumps, a very 
large portion of such doses is not available, or only so 
after considerable time. Too much fertilizer is rarely 
used, but it is often used indiscreetly. 

The best time to transplant is just before a rain ; but 
when there are ten or twenty acres to be planted, the work 
must go ahead when the proper time comes, whether there 
is a rain or not. It is no easy task to put out and water 
an acre of tomatoes or half an acre of cabbage in a day. 

Much of this hard work may be avoided by using a 
transplanter. Many machines have been constructed 
and put on the market to do this work. Some are operated 
by hand, allowing a person to stand in a partially erect 
position. They do the work more or less efficiently, 
but for the lack of perfection, none has come into general 
use. There are also machines that are drawn by horses, 
but the plants must be put in place by hand. Some of 
these machines do excellent work, and would be used 



64 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



generally except that the prices are so high that many 
growers cannot buy them. The greatest advantage in 
the machine drawn by horses is that a regulated quan- 
tity of water is emptied wherever a plant is to be placed. 
To use one of these machines to the best advantage, the 
land must be free from debris. Stumps and trees are also 
in the way. The acreage that can be planted in a day 
depends upon the crop and the condition of the land. 
It is said that six or seven acres of tomatoes can be set in 
one day's work. 



55 t* 

w o 



Ft. 






In. 
6 

7 
8 



6 
6 
6 
6 










Distance 

BETWEEN 

Plants 

IN THE 

Row 


Ft. In. 


6 


7 


8 


1 


6 


1 


1 


6 


1 


1 6 


3 


6 


1 


1 6 


2 


6 


9 



H < £ w 

£8.3 83 



174,240 

128,013 
98,010 

522,720 
87,120 
43,560 

348,480 
58,080 
29,040 
19,360 
87,120 
43,560 
21,780 
14,520 
10,890 
29,040 
19,360 



to H H 

q w a 



Ft. 

3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
5 
6 
6 



In. 








o 
















g Z 3 > 

IB £h < H 

s w j a 



Ft, 

1 
1 

2 
2 
3 



1 
1 

2 
2 
3 
3 
4 
5 
5 



« £ g 
18583 



14,520 
9,680 
7,260 
5,808 
4,840 
21,780 
14,520 
10,890 
7,260 
5,445 
4,356 
3,630 
3,111 
2,722 
1,742 
1,452 
1,210 



Planting 65 



NUMBER OF PLANTS TO THE ACRE 

The preceding table gives the number of plants to the 
acre when they are set out at given distances. If it is 
desired to find the number of plants required to set an 
acre at distances not given in the table below, it can be 
done by a slight amount of thought. The number of 
plants for 1 inch asunder in the row are given. If, then, 
plants are set 2 inches apart, the field will require just half 
as many ; if 3 inches, just one-third as many as when 1 
inch apart; and if 7 inches apart, just one-seventh the 
number. 



CHAPTER VIII 
PESTS AND DISEASES 

In all tropical and subtropical countries, it is as necessary 
to be prepared for combating insect pests and fungous 
diseases of plants as to be prepared to till the soil and 
fertilize the plants. 

Insects and fungi are as resistant to cold as are plants 
which are cultivated, and these multiply with very great 
rapidity and are present in very large quantities through- 
out all regions where vegetable crops are grown. There 
is no escaping these enemies, and hence they must be 
combated by the best known methods. 

Considerable attention has already been paid to de- 
veloping varieties that are resistant to certain diseases 
in certain localities. It is not probable, however, that this 
line of investigation can be carried speedily to the point 
where the plants will be resistant to all of the numerous 
diseases. The moment we have plants that are resistant 
to the wilts diseases, for example, we find that they are 
still subject to an attack from other enemies. 

It is frequently stated that by proper cultivation and 
fertilization plants will be able to throw off diseases and 
insects. This is quite incorrect; a plant vigorous and 
healthy in every respect, is so simply because it has not 
been attacked or had to endure the disadvantageous con- 

66 



Pests and Diseases 67 

dition of a plant which is not healthy, and frequently a 
reasonably good crop will be matured on a field that is 
attacked by one enemy only, while if attacked by two or 
more, it would fail to give a profitable return. 

POISONOUS INSECTICIDES 

The first attempts at protecting plants against insects 
and diseases were made by combating leaf-feeding 
insects. Their damage was the more obvious and the 
method of control required less ingenuity than for handling 
the sucking insects and for diseases. 

Paris green was among the first of the poisonous insecti- 
cides to be used and is applicable to all leaf-eating insects 
and smaller animals. About a teaspoonful should be 
used to a gallon of water, or a more accurate measure 
would be to use \ pound paris green to 50 gallons of water. 
The mixture must be constantly agitated ; otherwise, the 
poison will settle to the bottom and the application will be 
uneven, resulting in a scalding of some of the plants and 
the others not receiving enough poison to protect them. 
Paris green is now little used, the arsenate of lead and 
other materials taking its place. 

Arsenate of lead usually comes in a paste form, the 
package usually having printed upon it the formula neces- 
sary for its use. Generally speaking, 1 to 5 pounds to 
50 gallons of water will be found to be the correct quantity. 
It is less caustic than paris green and can be used in many 
places where the latter cannot. It also comes in a 
powdered form, when it may be mixed with some inert 
materials such as flour and air-slaked lime and these be 



68 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

dusted over the plants in place of being applied as a 
liquid. 

Zinc arsenite is a new arsenical compound that has shown 
itself to be applicable where lead arsenate may prove too 
caustic. It usually comes in a powdered form. One 
pound of zinc arsenite to 50 gallons of water should be 
used, or it may be mixed with flour or air-slaked lime and 
dusted on, as in the case of paris green and powdered 
lead arsenate. 



CONTACT INSECTICIDES 

The success attained by using the poisonous insecticides 
gave a strong impetus to the investigation which had for 
its purpose the control of insects that feed from the in- 
terior of the plants and so are immune from poisonous 
insecticides. 

Kerosene emulsion was the first of the contact insecti- 
cides that came into general use. It is rather easy to 
prepare, and since kerosene (coal oil) is found almost con- 
stantly in the farm home, it can be made up without 
much difficulty. One-half pound of hard soap should be 
dissolved in 1 gallon of water. This can be done best by 
chipping the soap and letting it drop into boiling water. 
The soap solution should be removed from the fire, and 
2 gallons of kerosene poured into it. Then the mixture 
should be thoroughly agitated by means of the spraying 
pump. In a short time a thick, creamy mass will have 
formed. The hotter the water, the quicker the emulsion 
will form. As soon as no free oil forms at the top of the 
emulsion on straining, the emulsion may be said to be 



Pests and Diseases 69 

formed. One part of this kerosene emulsion should be 
used to 15 or 20 of water. 

Whale-oil soap or fish-oil soap is a commercial article 
prepared especially for treating insects. The amount to 
be used will vary with the concentration of the soap and 
the kind of insect to be treated. For soft-bodied insects, 
such as aphides, 1 pound to 6 or 8 gallons of water will be 
found useful. For more resistant insects, such as the 
plant bugs, a concentration of 1 pound to 4 gallons may 
be needed. 

Soda-sulfur spray will be found especially useful for 
very soft-bodied insects such as aphides, rust mites, and 
also for red-spider. For the last named, it is probably 
the most efficient insecticide known. 

Caustic soda (98 per cent), 1 pound. 
Flowers of sulfur, 2 pounds. 
Water, 2 gallons. 

The sulfur should be mixed in cold water to a thick paste, 
the soda added, and as it boils water added gradually to 
make 20 gallons. This water should be added fast enough 
to prevent burning, but not fast enough to stop boiling. 
The result will be a dark coffee-colored liquid. It should 
be strained through a fine-meshed cloth or spray-strainer 
and kept in tightly corked jugs. One-half gallon of this 
stock solution should be mixed in 40 gallons of water when 
ready to use. 

Tobacco-sulfur spray is especially efficient for treating 
thrips, particularly when infesting the bloom of vegetables 
and causing them to drop. 



70 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Commercial lime sulfur solution, 2\ quarts. 
Black-leaf "40", 3§ fluid ounces. 
Water, 50 gallons. 

If the leaf-eating insects are present and need to be treated 
at the same time, substitute from 1 to 3 pounds of lead 
aresenate in the place of the lime sulfur solution. 

Commercial lime sulfur solution usually can be obtained 
from seedsmen, fertilizer houses and supply dealers. It 
may be used in places where the soda sulfur solution is 
recommended. The usual concentration is such that 1 
gallon of this may be used to 25 to 50 gallons of 
water. 

Lime-sulfur solution — self boiled can be used in the place 
of a soda sulfur solution and will be found to be more or 
less effective in controlling some of the plant diseases. 

Fresh stone lime, 8 pounds. 
Flowers or flour of sulfur, 8 pounds. 

The lime should be placed in a tub and enough water added 
to cover. As soon as the lime begins to generate heat 
enough to cause the water to boil, the sulfur is added by 
sifting it through a sieve. The mixture should be con- 
stantly stirred and more water added at first, making it a 
thick paste and then more water gradually added to thin 
it down. The lime will supply enough heat to keep the 
mixture boiling for several minutes. As soon as it is well 
slaked, more water is added to keep the mixture from 
further cooking. If the cooking is allowed to continue 
for fifteen or twenty minutes, the solution becomes caustic 
to tender foliage, such as the peach. It is important, there- 
fore, to stop the cooking at the right point. The solu- 



Pests and Diseases 71 

tion is strained and diluted to 50 gallons and applied 
at once. 

Bean spray. — Beans are notably sensitive to scalding 
from arsenical insecticides. However, it becomes advis- 
able at times to use these poisons on the bean crop. 
The following formula may be used to good advantage 
and without much danger of scalding : 

Lime sulfur solution, 1 quart. 
Lead arsenate paste, 8 ounces. 
Water, 50 gallons. 

Miscible oils. — A considerable number of these mix- 
able oils may be obtained on the market. Prominent 
among them are the Target Brand and Schnarr's Insect- 
icide. Yothers' Formula No. 3 may be easily prepared 
if it is found advantageous. 

Caustic potash whale-oil soap, 8 pounds. 
Diamond paraffin oil, 28° Baume, 2 gallons. 
Water, 1 gallon. 

The soap should be heated to melt it to an oily consistency, 
then the paraffin oil added gradually, beating the soap 
and oil vigorously while the oil is being added. The beat- 
ing is continued for some time afterwards and the mixture 
is thoroughly combined. The gallon of water may then 
be added. To test the mixture, a small quantity is poured 
into a glass of water and if free oil floats on the surface, the 
stirring must be continued or more soap added. One 
part of the mixture should be used to 200 or 300 parts 
water. 



72 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Poison bait becomes very useful in combating cut- 
worms, grasshoppers, crickets, and similar pests that are 
not easily reached by poisoning the foliage or cannot be 
reached with contact insecticides. A teaspoonful of ar- 
senate of lead, paris green, or zinc arsenite, mixed evenly 
with a quart of dry bran, shorts, or cottonseed meal should 
be used. Enough water is added to make it into a paste 
that can easily be molded in the hands. If a quantity of 
molasses or sirup is added, it will increase the moisture- 
holding capacity and also make it somewhat more attrac- 
tive to certain insects. 

GASEOUS INSECTICIDES 

Bisulfide of carbon proves very serviceable in destroying 
insects that are infesting seed and seed-storage rooms. 
It also proves useful in a limited way in treating seed-beds 
for destroying ants. One pound of bisulfide of carbon 
will be needed for about 1,000 cubic feet of tightly closed 
space. This amount will be almost sure to kill all the 
animals within the inclosure in twenty-four hours' time. 
For destroying insects that are infesting seeds, a propor- 
tionately smaller amount should be used after placing the 
seeds in a box that can be tightly closed. For destroying 
ants' nests, a hole should be punched in the ground with a 
|-inch or f-inch dibber in or near the ants' nest and one to 
several teaspoonfuls of the carbon bisulfide dropped in 
the hole, and the hole covered carefully, firming the soil 
above. 

Formalin is useful in combating the root-knot worm in 
seed-beds, where it is probably more effective than the 
carbon bisulfide. One part of the commercial formalin is 



Pests and Diseases 73 

needed to 100 parts of water. For a shallow seed-bed, 
1^ gallons of the mixture to a square yard is applied, and 
for a deep seed-bed a correspondingly larger amount 
is used. 

FUNGICIDES 

There are many fungicides offered by the trade, and in 
some cases they will be found good, but owing to a large 
number of inferior materials that are being put on the 
market, they are not always trustworthy ; it has, therefore, 
become necessary to depend more largely upon the home- 
made fungicides and insecticides. 

Bordeaux mixture. — For the prevention of fungous 
diseases, nothing has been discovered that is equal to the 
standard home-made bordeaux mixture. Unfortunately 
some difficulties are encountered in making a good home 
mixture and it is somewhat disagreeable to apply. 

Solution No. 1. 

Copper sulfate (bluestone), 6 pounds. 

Water, 50 gallons. 
Solution No. 2. 

Caustic lime (quicklime), 4 pounds. 

Water, 50 gallons. 

It is advisable to have three kerosene barrels of about fifty 
gallons capacity in the field. Six pounds of copper sul- 
fate should be dissolved in a barrel of water (50 gallons). 
The copper sulfate will be dissolved slowly in cool water 
if it is suspended near the top of the barrel in a feed sack 
or other coarse cloth. If it is desirable to dissolve it 
quickly, this may be done by placing it in a barrel and 



74 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

pouring on hot water. After the 6 pounds of copper sul- 
fate have been dissolved, the barrel may be filled to the 
50-gallon mark. Tin or iron vessels should not be used 
in connection with bordeaux mixture or the copper sulfate 
solution; always use copper or wooden vessels. The 
4 pounds of lime should be slaked in just enough water 
to cover it, and care should be taken to stir it well and see 
that it does not burn dry. This is best done in a wooden 
vessel, as there is considerable heat generated by the lime 
in slaking. If the stone from which the lime is made 
contains much sand, it will be necessary to increase the 
number of pounds of lime used. If there is a quantity of 
air-slaked lime also present, it will be better to reject this 
and simply use the part that has not been air-slaked. 
After the lime has been slaked, water to make 50 gallons 
is added. The copper sulfate solution (No. 1) should be 
stirred thoroughly, and about one-half as much as the 
spraying apparatus will hold taken out. This is poured 
in the third barrel ; the lime water is then stirred thor- 
oughly and just as much lime water (No. 2) taken out as 
already taken of copper sulfate solution ; this is poured into 
the third barrel and the two stirred together immediately 
and briskly for a" minute or two. A greenish-colored 
substance will then have been formed which is bordeaux 
mixture. This mixture is put into the spraying pump 
and applied at once. Bordeaux mixture is not so good 
after it has settled, and after it is twenty-four hours old 
it had better be poured away and a fresh quantity made. 
The lime water and copper sulfate solution may be kept 
separately for an indefinite time without deterioration, if 
evaporation is prevented. 



Pests and Diseases 75 

Ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate will be found 
applicable in places where the bordeaux mixture would 
cause a bluish green stain and so cause the product to be 
less salable, as in the case of maturing tomato fruits, snap 
beans, and the like. It does not have the lasting qualities 
of bordeaux mixture, but is much more easily prepared. 
In addition to this it may be used much more success- 
fully to reach fungi inhabiting the soil, especially those 
fungi that attack the plants near the surface of the ground. 

Copper carbonate, 5 ounces. 
Ammonia water 26° Baume, 3 pints. 

For use the solution should be diluted to 50 gallons. 
One gallon of water is poured into a wooden or earthen 
vessel, the 3 pints of ammonia added and stirred so as to 
mix evenly. The 5 ounces of copper carbonate are shaken 
in the ammonia water, stirring the liquid all the time. 
If the copper carbonate all dissolves, an additional amount 
is put in until a small quantity remains undissolved. 
When the undissolved copper carbonate has settled to the 
bottom, the clear, blue liquid is poured off into some vessels 
that can be tightly corked, such as jugs, or bottles. 
The writer's experience has been that this stock solution 
does not keep well for more than a few days to a week or 
two, even in tightly corked vessels ; consequently, the 
material should be made up just at the time when it is 
to be used. 

SPRAYING MACHINES 

In the last twenty-five years the number of devices 
that have been invented for applying fungicides and in- 



76 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

secticides is almost countless. Machines have been de- 
vised for meeting the needs of almost any contingency. 

For dry materials. 

The simplest device to apply powders is a bag of coarse 
woven fabric, in which the material is placed and then the 
bag held over the plant to be treated. By shaking or 
tapping the bag the powder sifts out and is more or less 
equally distributed. Hand bellows to accomplish the same 
purpose have been in use for a considerable time. Ma- 
chines variously spoken of as powder guns and dust 
sprayers are also on the market. Some of these are con- 
structed so as to cover a very large area in a small time, 
and under certain conditions become very efficient. 

Where it is practicable to use the dry material, it is 
usually found more economical than the liquids, owing 
to the weight of the water which is used in making the 
liquid sprays. 

For liquids. 

The simplest forms for applying liquids are the hand 
atomizers; these work extremely well for small plants 
and when a small area is to be covered, such as in seed- 
beds, greenhouses and coldframes. 

The bucket sprayer and knapsack sprayer are quite in- 
dispensable to the average general trucker, and in some 
cases the knapsack sprayer only can be used for destroying 
aphis on cucumbers and watermelons, as well as other gar- 
den vegetables. When the work is to be done on a large 
scale, the labor expense in using a knapsack sprayer be- 
comes too great to make this form of machine profitable. 



Pests and Diseases 77 

For spraying Irish potatoes, cucumbers, and other 
crops that are grown on extensive areas, the horse spraying 
machine becomes an economic implement. In spraying 
Irish potatoes for late blight and early blight, it is rather 
important to go over the field twice in opposite directions. 
In this way the foliage is covered better than when the 
spraying is done only in one direction. 

The most perfect of the sprayers now in use is the power 
sprayer. These develop a pressure of 80 to 100 pounds 
and make it possible to reduce the spraying mixture to a 
mist, thus reaching not only the upper surface of the 
leaves, but the under surface as well to a large extent. 



CHAPTER IX 

MARKETING 

It is not unusual to find persons who have labored 
diligently to produce a good crop put it on the market in 
a slovenly manner. High prices are paid for fancy fruits 
and vegetables, but it is necessary to have the package 
fancy from the beginning to the end ; any one point neg- 
lected in the whole series will cause a decided damage. 
It requires brains to produce a fine article, hence the 
supply is limited. It is more profitable to produce the best 
of everything. If one wishes to succeed in any line of 
business, one must offer for sale the article that is wanted, 
and as long as there is a monopoly of that article, the price 
is considerably above the cost of production. Often, the 
mere style of label on a package makes a difference of 
10 per cent in the selling price. The street venders in 
our large cities learn to know human nature well; they 
buy good vegetables and fruits that have been shipped in 
poor packages and take the time and trouble to repack 
them, and find it a profitable employment. We must 
emphasize the matter of doing the very best with the best 
material at hand. If a crop is all culls, nine times out of 
ten it will not pay to market it at all. 

THE PACKING-HOUSE 

To put vegetables on the market in first-class shape 
requires certain equipment. One of the indispensables is 

78 



Marketing 79 

a good packing-house. When vegetables and fruit are 
ready for the market, they must be sent out — they cannot 
wait. One cannot stop to plan a packing-house after the 
crop begins to ripen, nor is this the time to build one. 

A good packing-house is airy and roomy, and so con- 
structed that all parts can be kept clean. It has been 
demonstrated repeatedly that vegetables have contracted 
disease in the packing-house, and arrived in the market 
in an unsalable condition. In several cases this has led 
to an annoying controversy, and one in which both parties, 
being entirely sincere, were severe losers, the buyers in 
losing a desirable trade, and the vegetable-growers in 
having to pay for shipping a quantity of worthless vege- 
tables. We cannot say that this was because of careless- 
ness on the part of the vegetable-growers, but rather be- 
cause of a lack of knowledge on the subject. Diseased 
vegetables should not be brought into the packing-house, 
nor should they be left in the field ; this is a subject, how- 
ever, that deserves special attention, and is discussed 
under the subject of plant diseases, Chapter VIII. 

The location of a packing-house must be decided by 
each individual, as the points to be taken into considera- 
tion are of an individual character. When it is possible 
to place it so that the vegetables can be loaded directly 
on to the car, this will compensate for considerable dis- 
advantage in other ways, as it saves one handling of full 
crates. When this is not practicable, the question as to 
whether it shall be in the field or near one's dwelling has to 
be considered. 

In the planning of a house, a few general principles may 
be given that will cover all kinds of vegetables ; there must 



80 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

be more or less variation in detail to suit the kind of vege- 
table to be packed. The product should enter on one side 
and be taken out on the other. The driveway to the en- 
trance should be low enough so that the vegetables do not 
have to be lifted to the floor. The arrangement should be 
such that the crop does not have to be lifted at each succes- 
sive handling. It is easier to lift a crate of vegetables from 
a bench than it is to place it on the bench. Most laborers 
will do more efficient work when not tired. A tired laborer 
works to the detriment of the grower, whether the pay is by 
the box or by the day. The packing season is a busy one, 
and laborers are often hard to secure ; if, therefore, four 
laborers can do the work of five, there will be that much 
more margin for profit or for investments. 

HONEST PACKING 

The practice of placing poor products in the center of 
the crate cannot be too severely condemned, and the 
persons who make a practice of this usually reap the due 
reward. Too often, also, they do a great injury at the 
same time to their neighbor. 



CHAPTER X 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE LEAVES OR 
STEMS — COLE CROPS 

The cole crops are the cabbage tribes, particularly those 
grown for the leaves or leafy or head-like parts, as cabbage, 
cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and others. These 
all require cool weather for best development and they 
withstand considerable frost at the proper season. The 
seeds are globular or nearly so, black or blackish, and 
germinate quickly. 

CABBAGE 

This hardy vegetable is grown in Florida and along the 
Gulf Coast, as a winter or cool-season crop. In this way it 
escapes more or less the many insect enemies which would 
attack it during the hot season. It is perhaps the common- 
est temperate vegetable grown in the West Indies and 
India during the cool season for the benefit of immigrants 
from colder climates. It matures in three to five months, 
according to climate and variety. 

The season for marketing cabbage from Florida is not 
long, because the Maine and Nova Scotia cabbage will 
keep until March or April, while the spring crop of North 
Georgia and South Carolina begins to reach market in 
June. In some years the northern crop is small, and in 
a 81 



82 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

such cases late winter cabbage commands a high price. 
If at the same time the potato crop is light, there will be a 
demand for southern cabbage. The vegetable-growers 
can often anticipate such conditions, and put in a large 
crop of cabbage. There is a large southern market that 
would depend on this cabbage if the supply were constant. 
Cabbage is an excellent feed for cattle. In some of the 
dairying districts, it is raised as a second crop to feed 
milch cows. 

Seed-bed. 

Cabbage is probably the easiest vegetable to grow from 
seed in the market. It is not necessary to have a cold- 
frame to start the seedlings ; but success is more certain 
by using it, where there is danger from frost. The bed 
need not be as fertile as for most other seedlings. Where 
frosts are apt to occur after the plants have been set in 
the field, the seedlings are often purposely stunted severely 
in order that they may be more resistant to cold. If it is 
discovered that the plants are not progressing rapidly 
enough to bring them to the size desired by transplanting 
time, they can be stimulated to rapid growth by the use of 
liquid manure, by giving cottonseed meal, or by an applica- 
tion of nitrate of soda. The cottonseed meal must not 
come in contact with the plants, as it is liable to cause a 
"damping-off" in the seed-bed. Four or five ounces of 
seed should give plants enough for an acre. 

Sowing the seed of cabbage. 

It is preferable to sow the seed in drills far enough 
apart to permit working by hoe or hand plow. In Florida, 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 83 

September or October or later, depending upon the variety, 
is the time to sow for the February, March, and April 
markets of the North. This will bring the crop into 
market after the northern stored crop has been consumed, 
and before the early spring crop has matured. The drills 
are made about f of an inch deep. As soon as the seedlings 
begin to break through the ground, a liberal application of 
tobacco dust should be given and the dusting repeated 
every three or four days. This will kill or drive away the 
insects that are numerous at this time of the year. 

If the seeds grow well the plants will become crowded 
in the drills before they attain their third leaf. Cabbage 
seedlings may be transplanted at any time in their growth, 
without losing any plants; hence, they should be trans- 
planted to a new bed as soon as they show signs of too 
much crowding. They should be transplanted to the field 
before the height of 6 inches is reached. If the plants 
grow too rapidly, they may be checked by withholding 
water or by shifting them to a new bed. 

Soils for cabbage. 

Cabbage is a gross feeder and will succeed on soil where 
many other crops fail. Soil used for ordinary gardening 
is considered excellent for this vegetable. If the land is 
not level, a northern slope is preferred, as that is cooler 
and keeps a more nearly constant temperature. Large 
cabbage will stand 15° F. without being killed; but that 
recently set out needs some light protection. Seedlings 
or plants in the seed-bed can stand about 20° F., but if they 
are in rapid growth this temperature makes the leaves look 
scalded. 



84 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Fertilizers for cabbage. 

The fertilizer ingredients necessary for the growth of 
good cabbage are approximately : ammonia, 6 per cent ; 
available phosphoric acid, 7 per cent ; potash, 8 per cent. 
Use 1500 to 2500 pounds of the above formula to the acre. 

The following table gives the amounts of the different 
ingredients required : 



Ammonia 



Pounds to the Acre 

1200 to 2000 cottonseed meal ; or 

750 to 1100 dried blood; or 

500 to 750 nitrate of soda ; or 

400 to 600 sulfate of ammonia. 



Phosphoric acid . 1000 to 1500 acid phosphate. 



Potash 



1200 to 1800 kainit ; or 

300 to 450 muriate of potash ; or 

300 to 450 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

600 to 900 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Planting and cultivating. 

Before transplanting, it is well to harden off the plants, 
and when ready to remove them, soak the ground thor- 
oughly; this will cause more soil to adhere to the roots. 
A rainy time is preferable for planting out, and this usually 
can be waited for, although it is not necessary, as the 
plants grow very readily. For medium to large varieties, 
the rows should be made 3 feet apart, and the plants 
placed 2 to 3 feet apart in the row. They should be 
planted with a view of doing all the cultivating by horse 
power. If the season happens to be dry, frequent and 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 85 

thorough but shallow cultivation should be given to 
conserve the moisture of the soil. 

Preparing cabbage for market. 

It often happens that much rain falls when the heads 
have become solid, causing them to burst. This may be 
prevented by running a plow with a long sweep on one side 
of the row to cut off most of the roots. The bursting is 
caused by assimilation of too much moisture, and a 
consequent expansion of the heart while the outer leaves 
cannot stretch sufficiently. 

For shipping, nearly all of the outer leaves are stripped 
off, leaving just enough to protect the head ; the stalk is 
then cut off about even. The heads should be gathered 
dry, and kept so until they reach their destination. If 
somewhat wilted when received by the retail dealer, they 
may be placed in a cellar or other moist place, when they 
will become crisp and fresh again. 

Cabbage may be classed among the staple products, 
so the public is not very notional about how it appears 
on the market. While it is an easy crop to grow, there 
are, on the other hand, many failures. 

Marketing cabbage. 

There is no settled form of package for cabbages. The 
smaller early cabbage is usually crated or barreled ; the 
fall cabbage is sometimes shipped in bulk, especially when 
sold by the carload. Barrels are frequently used when 
only a few are to be shipped to one address. Crates are 
often seen on the markets of large cities ; they are about 
2 by 4 by 4 or 5 feet. In Florida, cabbage crates are made 



86 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

to hold 100 pounds — smaller than the dimensions given 
above. 

Enemies of cabbage. 

Cabbage insects may be kept away from the seed-beds 
by screening thoroughly with cheese-cloth or mosquito 
bar. A spraying with paris green will protect the young 
plants from caterpillars, and a solution of white hellebore 
has been found efficacious against the root maggot. 

Club-root may be avoided by rotation of crops. Black- 
rot may be prevented by disinfecting seeds and imple- 
ments, cleaning out diseased cabbage, and the like, and 
practicing rotation. Black-mold may be checked by 
spraying with bordeaux mixture. In some places it is 
necessary to spray even the small seedlings many times. 

Varieties of cabbage. 

There is practically no killing frost for cabbage in the 
lower South; consequently, it is found more profitable 
to raise the larger kinds. Charleston Wakefield, Premium 
Flat Dutch, and Louisville Drumhead are favorites in 
various parts ; but these varieties should be grown only to 
medium size. For family use, when cabbage is wanted 
in as short time as possible, Jersey Wakefield or Early 
Winningstadt are desirable varieties. 

Bulletins 

Cabbage, U. S. D. A. Farmers' Bulletin 433. 

Screening for the Protection of Cabbage, N. Y. Bulletin 301, 1908. 

Cabbage Growing, Colo. Bulletin 143, 1909. 

Cabbage Experiments and Culture, Maryland Bulletin 133, 1909. 

Cabbage Worms, W. Va. Bulletin 120, 1909. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 87 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS 

This form of the cabbage species is distinguished by 
forming many small heads in the axils of the leaves on a 
tall stem, instead of one large head at the top. It is a fa- 
vorite winter vegetable in districts where the winter is suf- 
ficiently mild to allow of its growth, for it will stand frosts 
as well as the cabbage or even better. It is not so much 
grown in the northern United States, as it is in the west 
of Europe, because of the rigorous winters. By sowing the 
seed and transplanting into the field, like cabbage, it can 
be grown in southern localities during the late fall, winter, 
and spring, and the sprouts picked from the stem as 
they develop. The lower leaves are usually removed 
from the plants in the field to allow the better develop- 
ment of the sprouts. The culture of the plants and their 
requirements are about the same as for cabbage. There 
are both tall and dwarf varieties. Brussels sprouts do not 
appear to succeed in winterless climates. 

KALE OR BORECOLE 

This hardy vegetable, which is a variety of the cab- 
bage with open growth and often cut and curled leaves, 
has not been much grown for the distant market, except 
at Norfolk, Virginia. It is used rather extensively in 
New York, Chicago, and several other cities with a large 
foreign population. The cities named above would con- 
sume hundreds of crates of it at a fair price if offered 
early enough. It should be brought into these markets 
during March and April, or even earlier. 



88 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The land is prepared as for lettuce and fertilized as 
for cauliflower. The seed may be sown in drills during 
October and November, or it may be sown in cold- 
frames like cauliflower during November. When the 
plants have the fourth or fifth leaf, they may be trans- 
planted in the same way as cauliflower. The working 
of the field is similar to that for the cauliflower; and 
it should be remembered that the smaller varieties re- 
quire less space than the larger. 

The large varieties are cut and shipped in barrels; 
for shipping a long distance or a large amount, crates 
will be found preferable. 

The leading varieties are Scotch Curled and Green 
Curled. These form only a small part of the varieties 
grown in Europe. 

COLLARD 

The collard is a form of kale; it stands hot weather 
better than the cabbage, and although it forms no heads, 
gives a large supply of excellent green leaves. It grows 
more strongly than the cabbage and is recommended for 
gardens in subtropical and tropical climates, and even 
for market-gardening in some of the latter. In winterless 
climates it may be grown as a perennial, the young leaves 
only being picked as wanted. 

This is decidedly an American vegetable, grown almost 
exclusively for southern markets by people of the South. 
As a money crop it is not particularly successful, although 
it may be marketed when vegetables are usually scarce. 
Those who have cultivated a taste for it will refuse cabbage 
and cauliflower at the same price. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 89 

A rich loam should be selected, heavily fertilized, and 
deeply prepared. The directions given for the prepara- 
tion of land for cabbage will also apply for collards. The 
seed is sown in a coldframe or in an open seed-bed during 
February and March in the colder part of the orange belt, 
and as late as August in the warmer part of the wheat 
belt. As soon as the plants begin to crowd one another, 
they are shifted to a new place in the coldframe. When 
the plants are from 4 to 6 inches high, they are planted in 
the field, laying the rows off 4 feet apart and putting the 
plants 3 feet in the row. 

The crop may be marketed any time after the first of 
October. This mav be done in crates, in barrels, or in 
bulk. 

CAULIFLOWER 

Many persons prefer the cauliflower to any other 
vegetable. It has no doubt been derived from the 
cabbage. The broccoli is a kind of cauliflower, and hardly 
shows differences enough to deserve a separate name. The 
cauliflower is remarkable as being one of the few plants 
whose flower-buds and stalks are eaten. From the 
swollen colorless state of the flower-buds and flower- 
stalks, the production of good seed is naturally scanty, and 
therefore the seed is high-priced. The cauliflower is a 
monstrosity among cultivated plants, and this may account 
for several difficulties in its culture. It stands somewhat 
more warmth than most varieties of its ancestor, the cab- 
bage, and is also more sensitive to frost . Though it can 
endure some heat and drought when young, it requires 
moisture and a cooler temperature to head well. If 



90 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

checked in growth or not well fed, it produces a number of 
buttons instead of solid heads. Cauliflower grows re- 
markably well in the spring, fall, and winter seasons of sub- 
tropical countries, such as Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the 
Mediterranean region. One variety is grown from ac- 
climated seed in the tropical parts of India. It may be 
recommended for private or local use in tropical lands 
where there is a distinct cool season, especially if grown 
under a slat-shed, or under cheese-cloth on a small 
scale. The seed for warm climates should be procured, 
like that of the Bermuda onion, from a warm country. 
Irrigation is highly beneficial, and a thick mulch of manure 
or straw has given good results in dry hot weather. The 
cauliflower takes about five months to mature from 
seed. The seed may be sown thinly in a seed-bed, or sown 
in the open field a few together at intervals of 2 feet, in 
rows 3 feet apart. From I3 to 2\ ounces of seed may be 
needed for an acre, when sown in a seed-bed. 

As a money crop for the southern United States, the 
cauliflower can be recommended to all sections. It is 
more difficult to raise than cabbage, and consequently 
brings a larger profit to those who are able to grow it well. 
It has been grown successfully in all sections of the lower 
South, and thousands of acres are raised annually on Long 
Island. By this it is seen that the difficulties connected 
with raising it are not obstacles to average gardeners. 

Sowing seed of cauliflower. 

In sections where the temperature does not go below 
18° F., cauliflower can be relied upon for February and 
March delivery. If the crop is wanted for these months, 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 91 

the seed should be sown in a coldframe shaded with plant- 
cloth at midday during September and October. In 
Florida, the seed may be sown as early as August, and in 
South Texas in July. 

The soil should be raked off smoothly, and if it is not 
already fertile, it should receive a liberal application of 
commercial fertilizer. This should be worked in thor- 
oughly and allowed to stand a week or ten days before the 
seed is sown. Cottonseed meal or other vegetable matter 
should not be used in the fall, as it propagates diseases 
which destroy seedling cauliflowers. In winter this 
form of fertilizer can be used in the coldframes with 
safety. Cottonseed meal and other vegetable matter 
should be composted and thoroughly rotted before using it 
in the coldframes. The drills are made 3 or 4 inches apart 
and f of an inch deep, and the seed sown by hand very 
thinly. A seeder may be used with profit if one has much 
seed to sow. The seed when sown should be covered with 
about f of an inch of soil. 

The soil should be kept moist by frequent applications of 
water, never using enough to soak the bed, and, on the other 
hand, not allowing the soil to become dry. An open 
seed-bed may be covered with sacking until the seeds 
germinate. As soon as the seedlings appear, watering 
may be less frequent and heavier. The surface of the soil 
should be allowed to dry, so as to prevent damping-off. 
If, at any time, it is noticed that some plants are falling 
over, as if cut off, it is probably due to a fungus. An ap- 
plication of air-slaked lime, dust, or dry sand will often be 
found of advantage in this case. 

As soon as the plants begin to crowd in the rows, they 



92 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

may be transplanted to a plant-bed. They are set 4 
by 4 inches. In six or eight weeks the plants are ready to 
go to the field. Care must be exercised that they do not 
remain in the coldframe too long, as leggy plants are 
liable to "shoot up" to seed without making fine heads. 
However, experiments have shown that transplanting 
decreases the yield, and, if possible, it should be avoided. 

Soil and fertilizer for cauliflower. 

A rather loamy sandy soil, in a warm location, is pref- 
erable for winter marketing; but for the late spring 
market a heavier and cooler soil will give a larger yield. 
Irrigation is of great value in dry seasons. The land 
should be prepared deeply and thoroughly. If some 
crop has been used for soiling, the material should be 
plowed in early enough to incorporate it well with the soil 
before planting time. The land should be fertilized 
heavily as for cabbage. The following ingredients should 
be used : ammonia, 6 per cent ; available phosphoric 
acid, 7 per cent; potash, 8 per cent. Use about 1500 
pounds of the above formula. For table of ingredients to 
use for an acre, see Cabbage. The fertilizer should be 
applied along the row, and worked in thoroughly. From 
several days to two weeks should be allowed to pass be- 
fore planting out. 

Setting out the plants. 

The rows should be made 2\ to 3 feet apart and the 
plants set 2 feet or so apart in the row. If rain does not 
occur at the time, it will be necessary to water, for one 
cannot wait for a rain, as with the cabbage, for the plants 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 93 

must be set out, as otherwise they are liable to become too 
large and a part of the crop to be worthless. 

Cultivation of cauliflower. 

The general care and cultivation is like that for early 
cabbage. An application of nitrate of soda at the begin- 
ning of heading is advantageous. When the heads 
reach the size of a teacup, the leaves may be tied over them 
to keep the heads white. This is not always necessary, 
nor is the practice always followed. 

Cutting. 

After cauliflower has begun to head, it requires much 
judgment to put it into the market properly. The field 
must be picked over repeatedly and the matured heads 
removed, or they will spoil. If the weather is warm, 
they are liable to spot, and this makes them unfit for the 
market. To examine a head, the leaves are parted to see 
if the head is beginning to crack; if so, it should be re- 
moved. In case the leaves have been tied over the head 
to blanch it, they must be parted on the side. In cutting, 
a good, strong knife, with a blade about eight inches long, 
is needed. The stalk should be cut so as to leave about 
two circles of leaves. If the product is first-class, it will 
pay to cut the stalk below the leaves and cart the crop 
to the packing-house. 

Crating cauliflower heads. 

Preparatory to crating cauliflowers, all but the inner 
circle of leaves should be trimmed off, the stalks cut off 
near the leaves, and wrapped in a thin, white paper. In 



94 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the fancy markets, nearly as much pains is taken with this 
vegetable as with fancy fruits, and the growing of this class 
of cauliflower pays best. Before wrapping, each head 
should be allowed to dry thoroughly. In regard to the 
package, the customers are not so particular because the 
product is usually removed from the package before it is 
sold to the retail dealers. The barrel or box should not 
contain more than 2\ bushels, to avoid bruising the lower 
heads by the weight of the upper ones. For a distant 
market, it is better to use a crate that will hold about as 
much as a tomato crate. 

Seed production. 

The seed is imported from Europe, and some quantity 
is grown in this country. It is very difficult to grow the 
seed in the gardening districts of the eastern United States, 
as the heads have to be kept over winter, and the seeds 
ripened the next summer. Fine heads cannot be kept from 
rotting, so half-matured specimens have to be chosen. 
Is not here a profitable employment for a small capital 
in the South? Our crop can be manured early so that 
the seeds can ripen the same season. If an ordinary 
crop happened to be somewhat late, it might be allowed to 
go to seed. With a decrease in the price of seed, there 
would be an increase in consumption. As cauliflower is 
one of the most delicious vegetables, there need be no 
fear of over-production. 

Varieties of caulifloicer. 

Good varieties which can be depended upon are, 
Early Dwarf, Erfurt, Early Snowball, and Extra Early 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 95 

Paris. Algiers has been recommended. Large Asiatic 
is grown in India. The price of the seed is one drawback 
in cauliflower raising. 

Enemies. 

The root-maggot is one of the worst insect enemies of 
cauliflower. It can be kept away by covering the seed- 
bed with cheap mosquito-bar, and hellebore solution or 
carbon bisulfide will drive it from mature plants. 

The black-rot, caused by bacteria, is a dreaded disease 
in the southern United States. When a field is once in- 
fected, neither cabbage nor cauliflower can be grown on 
it for some years. The best way to prevent infection of 
a healthy district is to soak all the seed in a solution 
of 2 ounces of corrosive sublimate to 15 gallons of water, 
for a quarter of an hour. 

Books and bulletins. 

Cauliflower, Fla. Bulletin 59, 1901. 

Cabbages and Cauliflowers, by J. J. H. Gregory, Boston, 1908. 



BROCCOLI 

Broccoli is a late and coarse form of cauliflower. It is 
hardier than cauliflower and keeps well, but is not so 
choice a vegetable, and therefore does not sell as well. 
It may be grown as a winter crop in some regions where the 
cauliflower cannot stand the frosts without protection. 
Thus it is a favorite crop in southern England. Some of 
the varieties are often confused with cauliflower in new 
markets. 



96 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The seed should be sown in a coldframe or seed-bed dur- 
ing September, or later. As soon as the seedlings are an inch 
high, they should be picked out and transferred. The rows 
are made 4 inches apart and the seedlings set 3 or 4 inches 
in the row, pressing the soil about their roots lightly and 
watering thoroughly. A speedy way of setting them out 
is to make a drill about | inch deep and place the seedlings 
in this in an upright position, then press the soil to them 
from both sides. After a part of a coldframe has been 
set out, an abundance of water is applied in a very fine 
spray. By separating the plants in this way, damping-off, 
that often causes great losses among plants belonging to 
the cabbage tribe, is largely checked. When the plants 
are 4 or 5 inches high, they should be set in the field, or 
the seed may be sown thinly in drills 4 inches apart, and 
the plants set out directly in the field. 

The soil should be rich sandy loam, deeply prepared 
and heavily fertilized, using the same fertilizer ingredients 
as for cauliflower. The rows are laid off 3 feet apart and 
the plants set 18 inches apart in the row. 

As soon as the first seedlings are ready to set out, they 
should be hardened off for a day or two before planting 
in the field. If a cold snap is just at hand, the plants may 
be kept in the frame for a week or two longer. A fresh 
supply of plants should always be kept under special pro- 
tection, to be used in case of a hard freeze that may kill 
the plants in the field. 

Cultivation should be practiced frequently, but only to 
a medium depth. When the heads are maturing, a light 
band of bast or other cheap material may be used to tie 
the leaves over the heads for the purpose of blanching. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 97 

When mature, the heads should be cut, leaving only a few 
leaves on to protect them, and packed tightly in vegetable 
crates. 

The leading varieties are Veitch's Self-protecting, Purple 
Cape, and Mammoth White. 

KOHLRABI 

Cultivated plants belonging to the mustard family have 
been bred into many striking forms to supply the people 
of Europe with vegetables. Cabbages store the nourish- 
ment in abundant leaves ; turnips store the food material 
in the roots ; kohlrabi combines the two and stores the 
nourishment in the stem at the base of the leaves and above 
the root. In taste it displays the same adaptation, for, 
while it partakes of the flavors of cabbage and of turnips, 
it is distinct from both. It is prepared for eating in the 
same way as turnip. 

The seed should be sown in a coldframe in September, 
and the sowing repeated every four weeks until the first 
of February. As soon as the seedlings are an inch high, 
and before the leaves begin to appear, they should be 
pricked out in rows 4 inches apart, setting the plants every 
inch in the row. When they are 4 or 5 inches high, the 
seedlings are planted out in the field. Kohlrabi may 
also be treated the same as cabbage plants. 

The soil should be a rich loam prepared deeply. The 
rows are made 2 feet distant, and the plants set a foot 
apart in the row. Cultivation should be frequent and to 
a medium depth. As soon as the stems have attained 
the diameter of 2 inches, they may be used. The Early 



98 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

White Vienna and the Early Purple Vienna are ready for 
table use in about two-and-one-half months. 

Some varieties are grown to feed to stock; these will 
be found to be coarse for table use when full grown, but 
are good when half grown. Kohlrabi has not been shipped 
to any extent and will probably not be of value for this 
purpose. It is a good vegetable to grow in the tropics 
during the cool season, since it is ready to eat about two 
months after sowing, and retains a fair flavor. If allowed 
to grow large, it becomes woody. 







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Plate II. — Lettuce. 

Top, lettuce grown on a city lot ; bottom, a commercial lettuce field 
in Florida. 



CHAPTER XI 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE LEAVES OR 
STEMS— OTHER CROPS 

The leaf- and stem-crops other than the cabbages and 
their kind are not closely related botanically. They belong 
to different natural families, whereas the cole crops all 
belong to the mustard family and even to the one genus 
Brassica. In this chapter are brought together — since 
the cultural requirements are somewhat similar — such 
plants as lettuce, endive, spinach, celery, chicory, parsley, 
cress, asparagus, artichoke. 

LETTUCE 

In the outer tropical and in the subtropical lands, 
lettuce seed may be first sown just before the commence- 
ment of the cool season, perhaps in October in northern 
regions. After this, successional sowings may be made. 
Lettuce flourishes well in the trade-wind belts at an ele- 
vation of 2000 feet or so. As it takes two or three months 
to mature properly, the first heads will not be ready until 
about the end of the year. If seed is procurable, lettuce 
leaves may be grown in partly shaded places within the 
tropics throughout the hot season, but the plants are 
often weak and do not head well. Lettuce seed in hot 

99 



100 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

countries is often carried off by ants, sometimes to such 
an extent that it has to be sown in boxes whose supports 
stand in water. 

Lettuce may be grown successfully under extremely 
varying conditions of climate, but in general it needs a 
rather cool temperature and humid atmosphere. It is 
grown very extensively without protection throughout cen- 
tral Florida and along the Gulf Coast, for midwinter and 
early spring market. To do best, the temperature should 
not fall below 28° F. or rise above 85° F. While the young 
plants can endure a rather low temperature without being 
killed, in the heading stage the crop is likely to be ruined 
by a sudden fall of temperature to 24° F. Where such 
freezes are likely to occur, frames that can be covered with 
a light quality of cotton cloth are prepared. (See lower 
figure, Plate V.) 

Seed-bed for lettuce. 

In preparing a coldframe or seed-bed for lettuce, one 
should select coarse loam and mix with this much vegetable 
matter, so as to put plenty of humus into the soil. The 
drainage must be such that any surplus water will draw 
off rapidly. 

The seed is sown in shallow drills about 3 inches apart, 
and covered lightly with earth. The bed must be covered 
so as to protect it from the sun or too rapid drying. It is 
a good policy to sprinkle the bed every morning. From 
time to time as the seedlings begin to crowd in the row, the 
weaker ones should be pulled out. Transplanting is 
done when the leaves are one to three inches long. If 
delayed until the plants are larger, the work is accom- 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 101 

plished more easily ; but the chances of getting a good 
stand are reduced, and the plants may suffer greatly. 
All inferior plants should be rejected. In setting out in 
the field the plants are placed in checks 10 by 10 inches 
according to the size of the variety. 

Another method which is not usually practiced, but which 
gives stronger and better plants, is as follows : As soon as 
the seedlings are up strongly and before the leaves begin to 
form, the largest are picked out with the point of a knife 
or a similar tool. These seedlings are then set out in rows 
4 inches apart, and an inch apart in the row. Only first- 
class plants should be selected, and the inferior ones de- 
stroyed. As soon as the plants are set out, they should 
be sprinkled thoroughly, and they will grow off without a 
perceptible check. Before the plants begin to touch in 
the rows, they should be transplanted again, this time 
being placed in checks 4 by 4 inches. At this time the 
largest should again be chosen and the inferior ones de- 
stroyed. In a few weeks from this second transplanting, 
the plants will be ready to go to the field. If they are to 
remain in a coldframe, they should be planted in checks 10 
by 10 inches to 14 by 14 inches, according to the variety. 
If they are to be planted in the field, the same distances 
are used. 

Nitrate of soda dissolved in water (about an ounce to 
a gallon) is often sprinkled on young lettuce beds to 
hasten the growth. It might be worth while to try nitrate 
of potash instead, as it would perhaps be less likely to 
induce diseases. Lettuce must make a quick growth and. 
head well, and to do this it requires more fertilizer than 
most other garden vegetables. 



102 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Preparing the lettuce field. 

All rubbish should be removed from the land before the 
field is plowed ; debris of any sort is not only annoying, 
but also liable to interfere in cultivation and to cause 
considerable loss. The soil should be a friable loam, with 
little silt or fine sand present. It should be rich, but need 
not be deep. All plowing and preparation may be shal- 
low. 

A convenient way to plant in the field is to lay the rows 
off at proper distances, and then make checks across the 
rows. A plant is dropped at each check, and afterwards 
the roots pressed into the ground with a dibber ; or the 
forefinger may be used for this purpose. The soil should 
be pressed firmly about the plants, and the plants watered 
thoroughly. 

Cultivation of lettuce. 

If the weather is dry, frequent shallow plowings by hand 
should be given. In a wet season, the cultivation should 
be deeper and more thorough, so as to allow the surplus 
water to drain off rapidly. It is not sufficient merely 
to keep the weeds down, but the soil must be kept loose 
and friable all the time. 

Fertilizer. 

The fertilizer ingredients for lettuce should be as follows : 
ammonia, 6 per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 9 per 
cent; potash, 12 per cent. Use 800 to 1000 pounds or 
more (some growers use over three tons) to the acre of the 
above formula. If the land is rich is humus, the amount 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 103 

of nitrogen may be cut down accordingly. In a coldframe 
or seed-bed, use a pound for every twelve square feet. 
The following amounts of materials will give about the 
quantity of each element called for in the formula : 

Pounds to the Acre 

1600 to 1200 cottonseed meal ; or 
250 to 500 muriate of soda ; or 
200 to 400 sulfate of ammonia. 

Phosphoric acid . . 600 to 1200 acid phosphate. 

f 900 to 1500kainit; or 
p , I 200 to 250 muriate of potash ; or 

■ 200 to 250 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 
400 to 500 low-grade sulfate of potash. 

The general formula is applied broadcast over the field 
and worked in thoroughly a week or so before planting 
out. After the plants are nearly half-grown, a liberal 
application of nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash may be 
given. The quantity to be used will range from 100 to 
several hundred pounds to the acre, depending on circum- 
stances. If heavy rains occur, a second application may 
be necessary. 

Irrigation for lettuce. 

To make lettuce-growing certain and profitable, it is 
necessary to have some means of applying water. When 
conditions permit sub-irrigation, this system is to be pre- 
ferred ; when this is not practicable, an overhead system 
may successfully be employed. The amount of water to 
be used will vary greatly with the character of the soil 



104 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

and climatic conditions, but frequent and light irrigations 
are much more profitable than heavy ones at infrequent 
intervals. Over-watering occurs more frequently in sub- 
irrigation than in over-head irrigation. (See Plate I.) 

Marketing the lettuce. 

The solid head varieties do not remain in a marketable 
condition as long as the Grand Rapids and those of its 
type ; therefore, if the solid varieties are planted, they will 
have to be sent forward to the markets as soon as matured. 
As a whole, the eastern markets are partial to solid head 
lettuce, while the western markets are more inclined toward 
loose heads. For local markets, lettuce may be blanched ; 
any simple contrivance that will shut out the sun will do 
this. (See Plates II, III, VII and XIII.) 

For shipping, the crop must be cut when it is dry. It 
should be packed in a barrel or open crate ; in Florida a 
standard lettuce hamper is used. The heads must be 
packed in firmly, but the leaves must not be crushed. 
The packing must be so firm that the material in the crate 
cannot shake. (See Plate VII.) 

Lettuce seed raising. 

For raising lettuce seed, the plants should be selected 
from one variety just as for the market crop. When the 
plants are matured, all individuals that are not typical 
should be removed from the field. If any plant contracts 
disease, it should be removed also. About six weeks 
after marketing time, the plants will have sent up a seed- 
stalk. A stake should be placed in the ground firmly 
beside each plant and the plant tied to the stake. This 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 105 

will save many plants from being blown over. The ripen- 
ing of the seed will be indicated by the feathery pappus on 
the individual heads. As soon as a good number of heads 
are ripe, the whole plants may be cut off and bunched, 
and hung for drying in the packing-house. As soon as dry, 
the seed should be threshed, as it is very easily blown away. 
Clean out all chaff and light seed, and pack away from mice 
and roaches. 

Diseases. 

Lettuce-drop is caused by a fungus which lives in the 
soil. The plants wilt and drop in a few hours. Small 
black sclerotia may be seen on the dead plants. The 
remedy is to use fresh soil for seed-beds, which does not 
contain the fungus, and to clean out all diseased plants. 
The bacterial disease of lettuce starts as transparent 
spots, which spread over the leaves, causing them to die. 
This disease kills the plants slowly. 

Varieties of lettuce. 

Of the two classes of lettuce, the Cabbage and Cos, the 
former is regarded as best for tropical countries. Of 
lettuce varieties grown in Florida for early shipment to 
northern markets, California Cream Butter perhaps ranks 
first, Big Boston second, and Black-seeded Simpson third. 
Other varieties grown are Tennisball Black-seeded, and 
Mammoth Black-seeded Butter. (See Plate III.) 

The Grand Rapids, an open-headed variety, is preferred 
by some markets, especially for garnishing purposes. 
There are many other varieties that are claiming atten- 
tion, but the above will be found reliable. 



106 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Bulletins. 

American Varieties of Lettuce, U. S. D. A. Bur. of Plant Ind. Bul- 
letin 69, 1904. 
Lettuce Culture, Cuba Agr. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 8, 1907. 



ENDIVE 

Endive is used either as cooked greens (the broad-leaved 
variety) or in making salads (the curled endive), but it is 
not demanded in the markets of the southern United 
States. While it is raised to a considerable extent in some 
places in the northern states, it receives greater attention 
in Europe. Endive stands heat and cold better than 
lettuce. It is easily grown within the tropics from seed 
sown broadcast or in drills, at the beginning of the cool 
season, and the curled varieties are readily blanched by 
tying up. They are of little use for salads unless thor- 
oughly blanched. The plant is very closely allied to 
chicory. It produces a dense clump or rosette of leaves. 

A quick loam is required to make a good crop, but, 
like spinach, endive is a surface-feeder. The land should 
be thoroughly prepared and the fertilizer evenly dis- 
tributed. Of the ordinary vegetable fertilizer 800 to 
1200 pounds should be used to the acre. If the nitrogen 
is in the form of vegetable matter, it should be thoroughly 
decomposed; if in the form of mineral matter, it had 
better be applied at different times. The fertilizer should 
be applied in the drill. The rows should be made about 
2 feet apart and the seed sown thickly, thinning out later 
to about 9 inches in the row. September or October is 
the best time for sowing. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 107 

About January or February, the crop will be ready to 
blanch ; this is done by tying the outer leaves up over the 
inner until the green has disappeared from the latter. It 
depends much upon the condition of the weather as to 
the length of time that will be required in blanching ; if the 
plants are growing rapidly and the weather is warm, 
only half as much time will be required as when the weather 
is cold. As soon as blanching is complete, the leaves must 
be cut, or decay will set in. Transplanted endive has not 
yielded as well as when not transplanted ; therefore, it is 
preferable to sow an abundance of seed and then thin 
out. The marketing is like that of spinach. 

There are two classes of curled endive — the yellow and 
the green; the yellow is probably the more attractive, 
but there is little choice. 



SPINACH 

Spinach leaves are much used as cooked greens. This 
easily cultivated plant will stand a hard winter, and may 
be readily grown in the tropics during the cool season, 
or at elevations of 2000 feet and more. It forms an agree- 
able change from the cabbage, which is often the only 
green vegetable procurable, and that with difficulty, in 
some tropical countries. 

In the northern United States spinach is largely grown. 
It does not stand shipping to a distant market very well, 
and therefore will not come into general favor with truck- 
growers in the lower South, though a large quantity is 
shipped from Virginia. 

A warm loam should be selected and fertilized heavily. 



108 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The following fertilizer ingredients should be used : 
ammonia, 3-4 per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 7 per 
cent ; potash, 5 per cent. Use 800 to 1200 pounds to the 
acre, and apply in the row. The plowing need not be 
deep, and a top-dressing of chemical fertilizer after the 
plants have been started will be found advantageous. 
The rows should be made 2 feet apart, or less, and a seed 
dropped about every inch and covered with about an 
inch of soil. September or October is the best time for 
sowing. The plants are thinned out to 6 to 12 inches in 
the row according to the variety. A wheel-hoe or some 
other shallow-running cultivator is used to stir up the 
soil. The main work will be to keep the weeds down and 
the soil moist. If the ground becomes very dry, the 
plant runs to seed. Like lettuce, it must be kept continu- 
ously in active growth. 

Marketing may be done in the ordinary vegetable crate, 
or in ventilated barrels, but the product must be thoroughly 
dry before it is packed. The plants should be cut so as 
to leave less than an inch of root, the dirt shaken off well, 
all dried or otherwise worthless leaves removed, and 
packed tightly. With the increased facilities for transpor- 
tation, it may be possible to supply many of the southern 
markets. In a garden it is usual to pick the outer leaves 
of the spinach as they mature. 

There are not many varieties of spinach to choose from ; 
the one known as Round Leaved is quite common ; the 
Improved Curled American Savoy is also grown exten- 
sively. Prickly Seeded spinach is also sold for winter 
growth. 

In raising spinach seed, the barren or staminate plants 




Plate IV. — Celery. 

Top, largest plant well rooted and ready for transplanting; center, mar- 
ket celery packed in a crate ; bottom, celery packing in field. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Steins 109 

may be rooted out and thrown away as soon as the seed 
has set. When the seed is ripe, the plants are hung up 
to dry and the seed threshed out. 



CELERY 

Early celery is grown on a commercial scale as far south 
in Florida as 27^° north latitude. It can be raised in 
gardens in northern India and the West Indies during the 
cool season. It requires five months or more to mature 
from seed. The profit in this line of vegetable-growing 
depends largely upon individual skill. In northern sec- 
tions, as in Michigan and New York, celery is raised as 
a second crop ; but in Florida it has to be raised as a first 
or cool-season crop. 

Soil for celery. 

The South has enough excellent celery land to supply 
the markets of the United States. In choosing a plot, 
two points must be kept in mind : first and most im- 
portant, the soil must be rich, or made rich by heavy 
fertilizing ; second, the soil must be moist and well drained. 
Much of the drained muckland has failed to produce 
celery because it is too dry. Again, some muckland was 
too new, and caused the crop to " rust " and decay. Celery 
raising pays, because it takes more skill to raise it than 
many other crops. 

In northern celery-growing sections, a crop of early 
vegetables is taken from the land, and then the celery is 
planted. The land having received a heavy application of 
manure before the early vegetables are planted, need not 



110 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

be fertilized again unless some thoroughly rotted compost 
can be obtained. Fresh or undecomposed manure may 
cause a rusting of the vegetable that unfits it for market. 
The old method of growing celery was to prepare the land 
well and deeply, and then make trenches 6 to 8 inches 
deep, and set the plants in these trenches. This method 
is not followed now by the best celery-growers. 

If one has a field of drained muckland, one should first 
make the soil sweet, and then plant the crop. Muckland 
may not be fit to plant celery for two or three years after 
it has been reclaimed. It may be best to add lime, ground 
limestone, or ashes to correct the acidity. One of the best 
crops to prepare the land for vegetables is corn. This is 
very exhaustive ; but the roots penetrate the soil well, and 
corn is able to stand more sourness than many other 
crops. Rye and oats prepare the upper stratum well, but 
their roots do not penetrate the soil as deeply as those of 
corn. When the soil has become perfectly homogeneous, 
and the vegetable matter thoroughly incorporated, one 
may feel sure that it is in good condition for celery. It is 
advisable to test the land by planting out a short row of 
celery on a typical portion the year before ; the growth of 
this will tell for a certainty whether the soil is in good con- 
dition. When the soil is in a good condition, the land 
should be plowed deeply, thoroughly harrowed, and all 
rubbish removed. Before plowing, all corn-stalks, large 
weeds, sticks, and anything that may interfere with 
cultivation, should be removed. 

If it is pinewoods land that is to be put into cultivation, 
it must be cleared of all woody matter. The rows are 
then laid off, and a double furrow plowed out deeply — 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 111 

as is possible with a two-horse plow. In this furrow 
thoroughly decomposed compost of muck and stable 
manure is scattered, at the rate of about a two-horse 
wagon load to 100 feet of furrow. The soil and compost 
are mixed thoroughly, gradually filling the furrow in doing 
so. When well-rotted vegetable matter cannot be ob- 
tained, humus may be supplied by sowing the field to a 
rank-growing legume, such as velvet beans. Cowpeas 
are not so desirable, since most varieties harbor the root- 
knot — a very serious disease of celery in light sandy soils 
of subtropical regions. 

Fertilizer for celery. 

The proportions of fertilizer ingredients should be as 
follows : ammonia, 6 per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 
6 per cent ; potash, 8 per cent. Use 2000 pounds or more 
to the acre. The growers in Florida use from two to three 
tons. If the celery is planted on muckland, the amount of 
nitrogen should be reduced. 

The following fertilizer ingredients will give the propor- 
tions of the above formula at the rate of 2000 pounds to 
the acre : 

Pounds to the Acre 
1700 cottonseed meal ; or 
1000 dried blood ; or 
700 nitrate of soda ; or 
500 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid .... 1200 acid phosphate. 

1320 muriate of potash ; or 
350 high-grade sulfate of potash; or 
700 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



112 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

In an extensive trial of different fertilizers on sub-irri- 
gated land in Florida, the following mixture gave excellent 
results : 

1. Bone-meal 1500 lb. to the acre. 

9 f Fish scrap 2200 lb. to the acre, or 

1 Dried blood 1800 lb. to the acre. 

3. High-grade sulfate of potash .... 650 lb. to the acre. 

Seed-sowing. 

The seed is sown in August or September, or later, at 
intervals of two weeks, in a coldframe or in a seed-bed, 
where the young plants can be watered easily and protected 
from the hot sun. If the seed-bed or coldframe has been 
used before, new fertilizer must be added before seed is 
sown. If a new seed-bed has to be made, follow the direc- 
tions given on page 58. Plenty of fertilizer should be 
used ; a pound of the formula given may be used to every 
6 square feet as a fair allowance. Lime or ashes should be 
used to correct any acidity. The bed should not be located 
near trees to secure shade from them ; they will exhaust 
the soil before the celery is ready to be transplanted. 

When the bed is level and smooth, shallow drills are 
made by drawing a stick across, at intervals of about 
6 inches. The seeds should be scattered thinly. They 
should then have a very light covering of soil scattered 
over them, or the whole bed may be covered with wet 
burlap until the seeds have germinated. Sprinkling with 
water is needed after the sowing. The young seedlings 
usually require to be shaded from the sun's rays by a 
cover of slats or cheese-cloth. The plants should be 
thinned to about an inch apart when the leaves begin to 




Plate V. — Plant Beds. 

Above, a seed-bed for starting celery plants, with cheesecloth covering ; 
old fertilizer bags on fence were used over the beds to sprout the seeds. 
Below, a canvas-covered bed in which a cucumber crop is grown. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 113 

form. Care should be exercised to keep the weeds out by 
cultivating and weeding. (See upper figure, Plate V.) 

A celery bed should be cultivated at least every week; 
and while the weeds are still in the seed-leaves, they 
should be weeded out. If the plants tend to become 
spindly, the tops should be sheared off and the leaves 
will grow stocky. Crowding the plants in the row makes 
them send out a strong down-growing root that might be 
called a tap-root. If the plants are not crowded, the roots 
spread out upon the surface, and are constantly subject 
to slight droughts. In the case of a strong central root 
system, the plants are nourished from the portion of the 
soil that is constantly moist. Another decided advantage 
is that they may be transplanted with less injury to the 
root system. 

Transplanting celery. 

However cheap plants may be in the market, it is pref- 
erable to grow one's own plants. However, sometimes 
it happens that celery plants must be bought or the crop 
abandoned for that year. If one has to buy plants from 
a distance, the land must be quite ready to receive them 
when they arrive. If there happens to be a dry spell, 
the plants must be put into a bed where they can be shaded, 
and water in abundance supplied. A number of the 
plants can then be set out, from time to time, as one is 
able to take care of them. The setting out must not be de- 
layed, for the plants will soon form roots from the re- 
serve material within them ; and if this has to be done 
the second time, it will be a severe draft on the plant. 
If one has raised his own plants, he may delay 



114 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

transplanting for weeks, awaiting a rain. If the land 
is in perfect readiness, as soon as the plants are large 
enough, which will be in six to ten weeks after sowing, 
they can be set out. The time to transplant is when the 
leaf-stalks are from 3 to 6 inches long. The distance 
between the rows is about 3 feet or more, according to the 
variety, putting the plants 3 inches or more apart in the 
row. The smaller distances will give between 50,000 and 
60,000 plants to the acre. The surface of the land should 
be even and level, and the soil mellow and deep. A line 
should be stretched and a dibber used for planting. The 
plant is placed into the hole made by the dibber, and the 
ground pressed around it firmly. Another method of 
setting out that is being practiced largely is to set two 
rows G to 10 inches apart, placing the plants 6 to 8 inches 
apart in the row. The plants in the second row are set 
so as to come opposite to the spaces in the first row. This 
allows one to set nearly twice as many plants to the acre 
as the single-row method, and makes a great saving in 
lumber at the time of blanching. In setting out, the bud 
is placed even with the surface of the ground. The work 
of setting out can be facilitated by cutting the roots 
and leaves to the proper size before taking to the field. An 
active boy may be employed to drop the plants for the 
man doing the setting out. (See upper figure, Plate IV.) 
After setting, the plants must be watered, unless the 
setting out is done immediately after a rain. After 
watering, as soon as the water has soaked into the ground, a 
thin layer of dry soil is raked over the soil which has been 
moistened. If it is after a rain, the ground should.be 
worked lightly to give some loose soil on top. These 




Plate VI. — Celery. 

Top left, well-grown celery plants (Golden Self-blanching) ; top right, 
foot-press, for packing celery; bottom, blanching celery by means of 
boards. 



Vegetables ivith Edible Leaves or Stems 115 

directions, if followed out, will do much to conserve the 
moisture. 

A few days before transplanting, the plants should be 
hardened off to lessen the shock of transplanting. After 
having set the plants out, they may be shaded to accustom 
them gradually to the field. The best device for this is an 
8- or 10-inch board placed obliquely over the row. The 
board is secured by stakes, which are driven on the 
south side of the row, slanting toward the north ; by lean- 
ing a board against these, the plants will stand in the 
shade during the hotter part of the day, and be exposed 
to the sun in the evening and morning. If the plants are 
exposed to frost, they often run to seed prematurely. 

Celery is cultivated five or six times after setting out, 
and the earth may be gradually drawn up to the row, 
keeping the foliage on top of a ridge. In the family garden, 
this is done with a hoe, but on celery farms special plows 
are used for this purpose, drawn by a team, and hilling both 
sides at once. This banking is for the purpose of blanch- 
ing. Shutting out the light in other ways is just as good 
as banking or hilling, if it keeps the light out as thoroughly. 
Another way of blanching or bleaching that is employed 
extensively is to use boards in place of earth. This method 
has the advantage of causing less discoloration and decay. 
Eight- to 12-inch boards are used, according to the variety 
of celery to be blanched, and laid flat alongside the row 
on each side with one edge next to the plants ; the outer 
edge of the boards is raised up against the plants and 
the lower edge moved out a few inches, the board pressed 
down to shut out all light from the bottom, and the work of 
banking is done. If there is danger of the boards falling, 



116 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

they may be fastened by nailing a light strip from one to 
the other. The upper edges of the boards should be 
pressed together firmly, but not hard enough to bruise the 
leaves. The boards may be staked down on each side, 
upright at first and slanted in later. In two or three weeks 
the celery will be blanched sufficiently for use. 

Among other methods of blanching are those of putting 
drain tiles around the plants, and of wrapping them with 
thick paper, or covering with a paper tube; but all of 
these have failed to meet the wants of celery-growers. 

Late in the season, or when celery has attained its full 
growth, it takes nearly twice as long to blanch. This 
should be borne in mind when celery is to be prepared for a 
fixed date. (See lower figure, Plate VI.) 

Irrigation of celery. 

In following celery culture, it may be necessary to resort 
to irrigation, for the water supply. This supply may be 
distributed in one of three ways, — either by open ditches 
at short intervals, by running tiles below the surface (sub- 
irrigation), or by an over-head spray. 

When the water is distributed by open ditches, they are 
cut 3 to 4 feet apart. In watering, these are allowed to 
flow full until the earth is thoroughly soaked, then the 
water is turned into another set, and this is continued until 
the whole area has been treated. These ditches are shal- 
low, only a few inches deep. On a clayey soil, they are 
run nearly on the level ; but on sandy loam, there must 
be a considerable decline in order that the water may 
reach the further end. It requires a fall of 1 to 3 inches to 
100 feet to make water run well on dry sandy soil. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 117 

Sub-irrigation by the use of drain tiles, or other more or 
less solid pipes laid into the soil, is the better plan. This is 
especially advisable when the water supply is large and 
can be cheaply obtained. To make sub-irrigation a suc- 
cess, it is necessary that the field should have a more or less 
impervious substratum not more than 5 to 10 feet down, 
or that the water-table should stand rather near the 
surface. In this, as in the open ditches, there is a water- 
main, running from which are the arms that supply the 
crop. When the land is perfectly level, the lines of tile 
are laid at regular intervals of 12 to 60 feet. When the 
land is not level, they must be laid on the contour lines. 
This is less convenient, since the celery rows must be made 
parallel to the lines of tile. With a sub-irrigation system, 
much damage may be done by too free use of water; 
otherwise it is ideal. In Florida, artesian or flowing wells 
form a cheap and continuous source of water for irrigating 
celery. (See lower figure, Plate I.) 

The over-head system of irrigation has been used success- 
fully with celery in a number of places. Its main difficulty 
lies in the fact that it brings about conditions favorable to 
the propagation of leaf blights. In this system the water 
is supplied as a spray from small nozzles in over-head 
lines of pipe. 

There is an extensive market for high-grade celery in 
the late winter and spring ; that is, after the crop grown in 
temperate climates has become exhausted and before a new 
crop can be produced. The celery must be crisp and have 
a nutty flavor to sell well. With rapid and certain trans- 
portation, celery can be grown in many subtropical 
regions to supply the large centers of population. 



118 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Preparing celery for market. 

Celery is not grown so generally in the subtropical parts 
of North America that the local markets are supplied. 
There are only a few places that produce it, and these do 
so in quantity. It has been only a few years since garden- 
ing for local sale has been profitable in many sections of 
the southern United States, and in some it is not meeting 
with success even now. The fault is as much that of the 
producer as of the buyer. There are many reasons why 
one should cultivate home markets. 

In the matter of preparation for market, there seems 
to be little choice. The main requirements are to get the 
celery on sale in a crisp form, and to have it sightly ; both 
ends are often overlooked, however. In the northern 
markets, there are two distinct ways of preparing this 
vegetable for market. For the local markets, it is not 
necessary to use any particular form of package ; yet, when 
one intends to establish a business, some regular form of 
package or crate should be adopted, as it makes a trade- 
mark. The crate should be light and tasty. For long- 
distance shipping, the celery plants are cut with a celery 
cutter pushed by a man. The outer leaves are removed 
and the celery sorted into grades of 2\, 3, 4, or 6 dozen 
to the crate. The celery is then packed flat into crates 
10 by 27 by 27 inches, the root ends together, and shipped 
in refrigerator cars. (See Plate IV.) 

Diseases. 

The worst disease of the celery in Florida is that known 
as rust or blight. This has destroyed many acres, es- 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 119 

pecially of the late celery in March and April. The 
remedy is to spray the plants in the seed-bed and field 
with bordeaux mixture or sulfur solutions. 

Black-heart and foot-rot seem to be led up to by too 
much moisture. They are infectious, and the fields should 
be well cleaned of diseased plants. 

Varieties of celery. 

Golden Self-blanching is the chief variety of celery 
in Florida. Several other varieties have been grown, 
such as White Plume, and Giant Pascal, but with less 
profit. 

Bulletins. 

Celery, Farmers' Bulletin 282, April, 1907. 

Celery Growing in Colorado, Colo. Bulletin 144, March, 1909. 

Celery, S. C. Bulletin 144, April, 1909. 



CHICORY 

Common chicory is grown for the roots, which are dried 
and used as a substitute for coffee, or as an addition to it. 
Other varieties are cultivated for their leaves and leaf- 
stalks. It is used largely in France and the Netherlands 
and to some extent in England. 

The roots of chicory are used as a coffee substitute. 
With this product we are not here concerned, but with the 
leaves, which are used as a salad product. 

The usual garden soil will be found sufficiently rich for 
this plant, and will need little care in the way of prepara- 



120 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

tion. The rows should be prepared in a way similar to that 
for parsnips and other root crops. The seeds are sown in 
early spring for late spring or summer crop. By sowing in 
February, the crop will be ready for use in April or May. 
Less time will be required for the late summer crop to 
mature. 

The cultivation is simple, merely enough to keep the 
weeds down, and the ground somewhat loose. Deep cul- 
tivation will be found advantageous. A week or ten days 
before the leaves are wanted for use, some soil should be 
worked up to the plant to blanch the stalks and leaves. 
As soon as these are well blanched, they may be taken to 
the kitchen and cooked or prepared as salad. For winter 
chicory, the seed should be sown during August or Septem- 
ber. It will be necessary to protect it during the summer 
rains, and also from the hot fall sun. As soon as cold 
weather comes, the soil may be banked up around it to 
blanch the leaves, or the leaves may be removed entirely 
and a mound may be made over the row. In a short 
time the leaves will force their way through the mound, 
and the stalks will be blanched and ready for use as 
salad. Two or three crops may be gathered from strong 
roots. 

Another way to secure well blanched chicory will be to 
remove the roots from the soil during December and place 
them in a deep box, working some garden soil among them 
at the same time. About eight or ten strong roots should 
be placed to the square foot of box. The box should be 
about a foot higher than the crown of these plants. By 
applying a gentle bottom heat, new leaves will be thrown 
out rapidly, and as soon as these reach a length of eight 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 121 

or ten inches they will be ready for use, provided the box 
has been covered to keep the light out. 



PARSLEY 

Parsley can be grown well in Florida, Louisiana, the 
West Indies, and in India, especially if slightly shaded, as 
by a roof of slats. This hardy umbellifer is a native of 
the Mediterranean countries, and has been cultivated for 
about a thousand years. 

The seeds may be sown at almost any time in frostless 
countries, and leaves ready for picking are produced in 
less than three months. 

Parsley is so easily grown that no garden need be with- 
out it, and yet it is rather scarce, especially in the southern 
markets. Its production scarcely reaches the dignity of a 
crop, though around New York and Chicago, the entire 
amount would cover some acres. The Germans use both 
roots and leaves as flavoring; while Americans use only 
the leaves, and these mainly as a garnishing. 

The seed of parsley is reckoned good if 76 per cent ger- 
minates. One ounce of seed is sufficient for 150 feet of 
drill. It may be sown in Florida in November. Since 
the seeds often germinate slowly, it is sometimes well to 
soak them for a day in water and sow them with sand. 
The drills are a foot apart and \ inch deep, and the seed- 
lings thinned out to 4 to 6 inches. In case the weather is 
dry, it may be best to sow the seeds in a seed-bed, where 
they can be kept damp and shaded for three or four weeks 
until they have germinated. A good plan and a useful one, 
is to sow the seed in a broad border row around a flower- 



122 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

bed ; this remains green during the severest weather. For 
this purpose the seed should be sown about the first of 
November, or in regions north of the lower Gulf region, 
about the first of October. As the plants grow larger 
they should be thinned out, so as to have from four to 
nine plants to the square foot. If the flower-stalks are 
cut down early, the yield of leaves is prolonged. 

Parsley can scarcely be over-fertilized by using manure. 
If commercial fertilizer is used, an abundance of cotton- 
seed meal should be given as a source of nitrogen. The 
general directions for fertilizing and the amounts given 
for parsnips will be found useful for this crop. 

Parsley readily produces seed in six months or so after 
sowing. The plants left for seed should be selected for 
their leaves and allowed a space of I2 feet apart. The 
seed stalks are dried when the seed is mature and the seed 
threshed out. 

The Plain-leaved variety of parsley is most used for 
flavoring soups, fish, and the like. The Creole Plain- 
leaved has long been acclimatized in Louisiana. For 
garnishing, the Moss Curled and the Extra Curled will 
be found desirable. The variety known as Hamburg 
or Turnip-rooted has a large root, which is the part 
used in flavoring or in salads. 

CRESS 

Of cresses there are several very different kinds or groups, 
all belonging to the mustard family. We may here treat 
only three, as the others are little grown. These three are 
the common garden cress, Lepidium sativum; the upland 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 123 

cress, Barbarea vulgaris and B. precox; and the water- 
cress, Radicula Nasturtium-aquaticum. 

Garden cress. 

Garden cress is a plant of long cultivation in Asia and 
Europe, and is used in salads. It produces leaves fit 
for use in about a month and a half. The leaves are only 
of use when tender. It may be sown broadcast and thinly, 
and may be grown in the tropics during the cool season. 
In England it is often used for salads when the first true 
leaves are very young; in which case it may be sown 
thickly in pans or boxes at almost any time of the year, 
and from the Arctic to the equator. There are varieties 
with curled and plain leaves. 

Upland cress. 

Upland cress is an American wild cress (Barbarea) and 
takes rather longer to grow than the garden cress. It is 
used in salads and much like water-cress. It is grown 
in the cool season. 

Water-cress. 

Water-cress can be grown readily in cool spring water in 
tropical countries, and may be met with in the West Indies 
along the banks of the streams. It is not advisable, 
however, in the tropics, to grow this plant in any water 
except that which is fit to drink. The best place for plant- 
ing water-cress is some running stream that has a firm or 
more or less solid bottom and is supplied by a spring. A 
small stream that is subject to floods during the rainy 
weather will not be suitable, as the plants are liable to be 



124 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

washed away. A single spring will provide a sufficient 
area to supply all the cress that a family will want to use. 
If more is needed, beds may be excavated just below the 
level of the stream, planted and then flooded. The 
sowing is very simple ; it amounts to nothing but drop- 
ping the seed in a moist place. The best time for this is 
during September, October, or November. A ten-cent 
package will yield all the cress that several families will 
care to use. After a little patch is once established it will 
continue to produce this vegetable for several years, but 
sooner or later, from various reasons, it will have to be sown 
or replanted. There is no extensive market for this prod- 
uct, and yet there are hundreds of families in the South 
who would be glad to have it. All that is necessary in 
preparing it for the table is to see that the branches that 
have been cut off are thoroughly washed and freed from 
dirt. It is usually eaten with salt. It is excellent when 
prepared as salad. Water-cress is sold to a large extent 
during the cool months in the large cities of the United 
States and Europe. The best English water-cress is 
grown in spring water coming directly from underground, 
so that it is warm in the winter. 



ASPARAGUS 

The edible shoots, which form this vegetable, sprout up 
in quantities only after the plants have been resting during 
the cold season ; thus in regions where there is no cold, 
but only a cool season, asparagus does not flourish. Thus, 
in India, asparagus can only be grown fairly well on the 
mountains, some thousands of feet high. Asparagus does 



Vegetables xoith Edible Leaves or Stems 125 

not do well in the greater part of Florida, though it is 
grown to some extent in other southern states, and ex- 
tensively in California. In the states where it is grown 
for the New York markets, it is not uncommon to spend 
from $300 to $600 an acre for fertilizer. Manure from 
the large cities is employed to a considerable extent, and 
chemical fertilizer may be used with profit. Asparagus 
will not succeed without proper attention being given 
to cultivation and fertilization, although the idea has 
sometimes become current that it will do well under any 
treatment, and that no attention is required except to 
gather the crop. It may be grown for home use, to a 
limited extent, as far south as central Florida. 

In selecting the field it should be moist and yet not wet ; 
a water-soaked piece will not grow this crop. While it 
wants an abundance of moisture, the soil must not be 
sour. Wet land that has been drained often makes the 
best plots. 

Preparation of the asparagus plot. 

Deep plowing, to loosen up the subsoil, is the first act 
after the plot has been drained. Among the best growers, 
the opinion is held that it is difficult to make the land too 
rich, or have it too well prepared. The roots penetrate 
the soil deeply and widely, as asparagus is a gross feeder. 
The fertilizer usually employed contains much organic 
matter, such as compost and rakings from yards; this is 
mixed thoroughly with the soil, and is often applied 
before the plants are set out. After they have started, 
a top dressing of potash and phosphoric acid is given. 
When the plantation is made a considerable distance from 



126 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the sea coast, it is customary to give a heavy application of 
salt; this may be applied without injury at the rate of 
two pounds to the square yard. The application of salt 
seems to do benefit chiefly by keeping down weeds, and 
where the cost of salt is less than the cost of cultivation it 
may pay to apply it. 

Fertilizer for asparagus. 

The proportion of fertilizer ingredients for asparagus 
should be as follows : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available 
phosphoric acid, 7 per cent ; potash, 5 per cent. Use 1500 
pounds to the acre. When possible, 20 to 40 tons of 
vegetable material should be applied, such as partially 
rotted rakings, or barnyard manure. When such vege- 
table matter is procurable, the quantity of nitrogen may be 
decreased proportionately. If manure is procurable, al- 
lowance may be made for the fertilizer elements contained 
therein. Ten thousand pounds of asparagus (edible 
part) contained 21 pounds nitrogen, 10 pounds phos- 
phoric acid, and 26 pounds potash. 

The following table indicates the amounts of different 
fertilizing materials necessary to give the desired quantity 
oi eacn element '. pounds to the acre 



Ammonia 



800 to 1000 cottonseed meal ; or 
350 to 400 nitrate of soda ; or 
275 to 300 sulfate of ammonia ; or 
400 to 600 dried blood. 



Phosphoric acid . . . 750 to 1000 acid phosphate. 

300 to 500 kainit ; or 

150 muriate of potash ; or 

150 sulfate of potash, high-grade; or 

250 to 300 sulfate of potash, low-grade. 



Potash 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 127 

Planting asparagus. 

The quickest way to make a beginning in asparagus 
growing is to buy several hundred or a thousand roots 
from a seedsman. These are not expensive, and will make 
a fair test as to whether it will be desirable or not to go into 
growing asparagus as a business. It is agreed that the 
cheapest and best way to raise asparagus is to sow the seed 
in a seed-bed, cultivate for one year, and plant out in the 
field next spring. One-year-old plants, if well grown, — 
as they would be if at all cared for during the long growing 
season of the South, — are universally preferred to two- 
year-old roots for planting out. Rows 3 feet apart should 
be laid off and the plants set a foot to 18 inches apart in a 
row. During the first year the field should be well worked 
and no weeds allowed to get a start. The second year, 
less cultivation will do. A top-dressing of fertilizer is 
applied to an asparagus field every spring. 

Cutting. 

While asparagus plants will be found to give a few stems 
one year from transplanting, it is better practice to let 
them grow up, and to cut only sparingly in the second 
year. In gathering, care should be taken to leave some 
strong shoots to form a leaf system for the plant. In 
cutting, a little of the soil is removed, and the aspara- 
gus knife is then pushed down carefully so as not to 
injure any of the stems that are just beginning to 
grow up. A slight twist of the knife will separate the 
stem from the root. 

The green tops are afterwards allowed to grow, so as 



128 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

to store up food in the roots for next year's crop of shoots. 
If cutting goes on too long, the next crop will be small. 

Bunching and crating asparagus. 

The stems are usually cut when they are about 6 inches 
above the ground, and since they are cut 3 or 4 inches 
below the ground, the shoots are 9 or 10 inches long. 
The stems are laid into some kind of contrivance, either 
home-made or bought, that will keep them straight and 
keep the tips even. A simple buncher is made by using 
a board 8 by 12 inches ; to one end of this a thin board 
8 by 8 inches is nailed ; three or four U-shaped iron straps 
are nailed on to the 8- by 12-inch piece, so that they will be 
parallel to the 8- by 8-inch board, and when the asparagus 
is laid into these the heads will abut against the board. 
This 8- by 8-inch board will keep the heads even, and the 
U-shaped straps make the bunch round. Strings of raffia 
or soft cord are laid across the buncher, and when enough 
of the vegetable to make a bunch has been added, the 
whole is tied tightly. Then with a sharp knife the butts 
are cut square, and the work is done. A handier buncher 
may be obtained from dealers in garden implements at 
a small cost. Such a buncher will be found profitable 
when much asparagus is to be prepared for market. 

Marketing. 

A carrier for shipping to a distant market must be either 
a half-crate or one divided so as to hold one tier of bunches 
in a compartment. Some soft moist material, as moss or 
grass is placed in the bottom, and the bunches set upright 
on this ; a layer of the same soft material is then put on 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 129 

and the wooden cover fixed over the tier. Another tier may 
be put above in the same manner. These crates must be 
sent to the market right side up. Care must be taken not 
to bruise or otherwise mutilate the stems, as this is likely 
to cause them to rot in transit. 

Blanching. 

Often an asparagus plot is not cultivated, but this may 
be done with profit. It too often happens that the 
asparagus plants are allowed to drop their seed. The 
seedlings spring up between the rows and obliterate them, 
and also crowd the plants, making the stalks come up 
slender and too small for market. If all seed-stalks are 
cut off before the berries are half grown, this difficulty will 
be obviated. To blanch the product, a furrow is thrown 
upon the rows from each side and raked level. By so 
doing the plants are buried several inches deeper than they 
grew. The light being excluded from the growing shoot, 
no chlorophyll forms until the tip bursts through the soil, 
when the cutting should be done. After the winter frosts 
have killed the plants to the ground, the tops may be re- 
moved and composted, and the bed raked, to be ready for 
early spring cutting. While our markets do not call 
for blanched asparagus, the blanched articles will sell 
first when both are on the same market and offered for 
the same price, indicating that there is a decided pref- 
erence for the blanched vegetable. 

Raising asparagus plants. 

In summer, certain of the stalks produce flowers, and 
later, seed ; this is in small berries about the size of peas. 



130 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Only about half of the asparagus plants produce berries, 
the others having barren or staminate flowers. It has been 
found that the plants with the barren flowers produce more 
and better shoots. When the berries are ripe they turn a 
bright red, and in a short time are liable to fall from the 
plant. When the seed is desired, it will be necessary to 
collect the stems bearing the berries for storing. As 
stated before, if one does not want to save the seed, all 
plants bearing green berries should be cut off to keep the 
bed from being crowded by seedlings that would spring 
up from these seeds if allowed to fall. Another way of 
getting the seed is to go into the field and strip off the 
ripe berries by hand. If the plants are cut to obtain the 
seed, they should be dried, when the berries may be beaten 
off on a cloth. The seed is so common that there is no 
sale for it. 

For sowing seed, a rich piece of land should be prepared 
by plowing deeply, and laying off rows about 20 inches 
apart; the seeds are dropped about an inch apart in a 
drill and covered an inch deep. When the plants are about 
4 or 5 inches high, thin out to one in 4 or 5 inches. 

Canning asparagus. 

Much of the asparagus used in the South has been 
canned. The operation is similar to that for other 
vegetables or fruit. (See Farmers' Bulletin 359 of the 
U. S. Dept. of Agric.) 

Enemies. 

The two chief enemies of asparagus are the asparagus 
rust and the asparagus beetle. 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 131 

The asparagus rust was epidemic in the Atlantic States 
in 1896 and subsequent years, and caused the transfer of 
the canning industry to California. The rust reached 
South Carolina in 1897, and spread to California in 1901. 
The summer-rust is red and the fall-rust black. The 
disease affects the tops, and if left uncontrolled finally 
ruins the crop. It may be stopped by spraying with 
sulfur and alkali, and by preventing all volunteer or other 
growths of asparagus until cutting is over. 

The blue asparagus beetle and its larva? work on the 
shoots first and then on the tops. In 1862 and subse- 
quent years they were epidemic in New York, and some 
plantations were abandoned in consequence. In 1908 
these beetles were found on asparagus in North Carolina. 
They can easily be kept in check by the application of 
paris green or arsenate of lead to the tops after cutting is 
over. The larvae of the spotted asparagus beetle live in 
the berries. 

Varieties of asparagus. 

Connover's Colossal and its related varieties, as Giant 
Brunswick, are liable to much damage from rust, though 
they are the best for canning. Palmetto and Argenteuil 
give far better yields when rust is present. The variation 
in the different varieties is probably less than in most vege- 
tables. The same variety under different treatment often 
varies more than different varieties under similar treat- 
ment. 

Bulletins. 

Asparagus Culture, Farmers' Bulletin 61, 1897. 
Experiments with Asparagus, N. J. Bulletin 173, 1904. 



132 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Asparagus in California, Cal. Bulletin 165, 1905. 
Asparagus and Salt, Ark. Bulletin 86, 1905. 
Asparagus Rust Control, Cal. Bulletin 172, 1906. 



GLOBE ARTICHOKE 

The globe artichoke {Cynara Scolymus) is native of the 
country about the Mediterranean. It is a favorite vege- 
table in France and other parts of Europe. It is well 
suited to subtropical regions, and is cultivated in India 
in the cool season, plants from acclimated seed yielding 
heads even at Calcutta. Its huge flower-heads are 
cooked and eaten, like asparagus, before the blue florets 
show, the unopened florets being first removed. This 
cultivated thistle should not be confused with the Jerusa- 
lem artichoke, which is a sunflower. 

The seed may be obtained from American houses, but 
it comes from Europe. The soil and climate of the south- 
ern states are much like those of France, and good arti- 
chokes can be grown in the South. The Large Green 
Globe is one of the best varieties. 

For growing globe artichoke, a rich soil should be 
prepared in the ordinary way to the depth of 8 or 10 
inches. The seed is sown in rows 3 or 4 feet apart, 
and the plants thinned to 3 feet apart in the row. When 
artichokes are grown regularly, sets can be used instead of 
seeds. The soil must be moist and well drained. During 
hot, dry weather it may be necessary to supply water so 
that the young plants may become well established. 

The cultivation should be thorough and deep ; the roots 
strike well downward, so there is little danger of mutilating 



Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 133 

them. A liberal supply of asparagus fertilizer should be 
used. The first year a few heads may be produced; 
and in the second and following years the regular crop 
will come in. Care must be taken to remove all heads as 
they become fit, for to allow any to go to seed will de- 
generate the plant rapidly. As soon as all the heads have 
been taken, the stem should be cut close to the ground. 
These heads will stand shipping to distant markets if the 
crate is not open enough to allow them to wilt. 

Only a certain number of the plants raised from seed are 
good artichokes, consequently seeds should be used only 
to start the crop and then the field perpetuated from 
suckers. All plants in the patch that do not produce good 
artichokes should be destroyed, and suckers taken only 
from the best plants. In removing suckers from the old 
plants, care should be taken that each one has roots, else 
they may fail to grow. 

In the northern part of the southern United States, it will 
be necessary to protect the field with a deep coat of mulch 
in winter; this will also be found to be of advantage in 
the southern part. 



CHAPTER XII 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE BULBS 

The plants herein discussed all belong to the genus 
Allium, of the lily family. They are the onion tribes, 
comprising, aside from onions, the leek, shallot, chive, 
and garlic. They are hardy plants, withstanding consid- 
erable frost although growing well in subtropical regions. 
The seed is mostly slow to germinate. 

ONION 

Varieties of onion, especially the Bermuda onion, are 
grown in subtropical and tropical lands during the cool 
season. The onion requires a dry period to ripen its bulbs, 
and this dry period comes, north of the equatorial belt, at 
the beginning of the year. Onions in hot countries grow 
best from acclimated seed, the seed of the famous Ber- 
muda onion being chiefly grown in the tropical island of 
Teneriffe. In tropical India, large onions are grown from 
acclimated seed around Calcutta. In the West India 
islands, Bermuda onions are grown to some extent ; and 
there are many acres of this variety in Texas and Cali- 
fornia. Of all the crops grown, there is none that requires 
more attention to the preparation of the land previous to 
planting than does the onion. 

134 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 135 

Soil for the onion. 

A sandy loam, with a clay subsoil, will give excellent 
returns, provided there is an abundance of humus or 
other nitrogenous matter present. Humus may be 
supplied by turning under leguminous crops. The roots 
of the onion do not enter the soil deeply, so they are easily 
affected by changes in the upper stratum. A rotation 
should be practiced by changes in the upper stratum, or 
the land may become infested with diseases. 

In selecting a plot of land, one should be sure to choose 
one that does not become soggy in wet weather, nor dry 
during a drought. One should not go into onion-raising 
on land not adapted to the crop nor as a temporary em- 
ployment. Where it is possible to have an artesian well 
or other constant supply of water, it will be found prof- 
itable to irrigate. The land should be well drained, 
putting the tile drains close together, so as to remove 
the surplus water quickly. 

The land should be plowed shallow but thoroughly, 
leaving no particle unturned. All roots or sticks or other 
debris should be removed before plowing, and again after 
plowing ; the land should then be harrowed thoroughly, 
removing all sticks or straw; even the roots of last 
year's grass should be removed. After the land has been 
thus thoroughly prepared, it should be allowed to remain 
two weeks or so before fertilizing, when it should be stirred 
again. 

Fertilizer for onions. 

Good compost or well-rotted barnyard manure will be 
found excellent for fertilizing onions. Whatever kind 



136 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

is used, it must be sure to contain no weed seeds. It 
should be applied several weeks before setting out the 
onions. If both home-made and commercial fertilizer 
are to be used, the former is plowed in, and after the land 
has been well worked down, the latter is spread broadcast, 
and mixed about two weeks before planting time with the 
soil by using a cutaway harrow. In using fertilizer, " Put 
on all you think the land can stand, then put on as much 
more, and you will have about half enough." The pro- 
portions should be : ammonia, 6 per cent ; available phos- 
phoric acid, 6 per cent; potash, 9 per cent. Use a ton 
of the above on land that is considered fertile enough for an 
ordinary crop ; two tons may be applied on land that has 
been cropped for several years. The following table will 
give the amounts of fertilizer material necessary : 

Pounds to the Acre 



Ammonia 



' 1600 to 3000 cottonseed meal ; or 
700 to 1400 nitrate of soda ; or 
1000 to 2000 dried blood ; or 
500 to 1000 sulfate of ammonia. 



Phosphoric acid . . 1200 to 2400 acid phosphate. 



Potash . 



Seed. 



f 2200 to 4400 kainit ; or 

360 to 720 muriate of potash ; or 

350 to 700 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

700 to 1400 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



The Bermuda onion is recommended as being the best 
variety for a crop in tropical and subtropical regions. The 
best seed is grown in Teneriffe, and this should be used. 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 137 

This is a very important point in the success of onion- 
growing. There is probably no other crop in which so 
much depends on obtaining a good strain of seed. It is 
not profitable to use old seed. It deteriorates quickly, 
especially in a warm climate, and should usually be tested 
before using. 

Time to sow onion seed. 

As in the case of potatoes, one should watch the northern 
markets and crops. If onions are selling at a very low 
price in the fall, it is clearly not wise to plant a large crop 
for early spring, but seeding time should be delayed for 
a month or two. A good crop never fails to bring a fair 
return ; it is unusual to sell any portion of the onion 
crop in the southern United States for less than a dollar a 
bushel. 

The seed may be sown in the Gulf region, any time from 
the first of September to the first of January. The last 
date would bring the onions into competition with the 
crops raised in the section just north, but the price is 
not low enough usually to make the crop cease to be 
profitable. October is a favorite date, and one that brings 
the onions into market after the stored crop has been con- 
sumed. Immediately after the seed has been sown in 
the coldframe or seed-bed, the preparation of the field 
should be commenced. 

Seed-bed for onions. 

The seed should be sown in seed-beds or coldframes, pre- 
pared with special care. This will require 3 to 4 pounds of 



138 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

seed for each acre to be planted. These beds may be pre- 
pared a month or so beforehand, and should be worked over 
frequently to get the fertilizer incorporated into the soil. 
They must be constructed so that the moisture in them 
can be controlled. 

If the seed-bed is free from weed seed, as it should be, 
the rows may be made about 3 inches apart, and the seed 
sown thick enough to raise about 3000 plants to one linear 
foot (6 square feet) of standard coldframe. This will give 
500 to 750 plants to a row 6 feet long. There is consider- 
able variation in the number of plants that can be produced 
from an ounce of seed ; good gardeners are able to produce 
about 5000. When the seed-bed is cared for properly, it 
will give plants in six weeks that are large enough to be set 
out. They should be set out before they are as large as 
a thin lead-pencil. 

Setting out onions. 

The most expensive operation in the growing of onions 
in this way is the setting out. This will be found to cost up 
to $40 an acre in Florida. Boys and girls will set out 2000 
to 3000 a day, while a good man can set 4000 to 5000 ; 
and as it takes 160,000 plants to an acre, it will be seen 
that it is no small task. It is claimed by persons who have 
set out several acres that they can do so at the cost of 
$20 an acre. In Texas it costs $15 to $25 an acre. Per- 
sons who are not familiar with onion-growing will consider 
that cost an almost insurmountable obstacle ; but when it 
is remembered that it does away with the early weeding 
and hoeing, the expense will not be so heavy as is first 
supposed. Twenty dollars is not sufficient to bring an 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 139 

acre of onions to four weeks old by the old method, and 
have the field free from weeds. 

After the seedlings have grown large enough in the seed- 
bed to be handled easily, they should be transplanted into 
the field. The rows should be marked off about 12 inches 
apart, if they are to be worked by hand ; if by horse power, 
the rows must be from 20 to 24 inches apart. A simple 
rake-like contrivance that has teeth at proper intervals 
will serve the purpose of a marker. If the marker is wide 
enough to mark out six or eight rows at once, it will be 
found steadier than a small one. All that is necessary is 
to make a mark for a guide, the lines or marks need not be 
deep or broad. A revolving marker may be made by 
fastening a thin rope around a wooden roller and inserting 
pegs at proper intervals in the circumference ; it will lay 
off distances and be a good guide in planting. If the pegs 
have been put so they will make a dot every 12 inches in 
the row, all that is necessary is to set a plant on each 
dot, and then put three between. These dots are especially 
desirable if one has boys and girls at work. In Texas a 
sectional roller is used which marks several rows at once, 
and has conical pins which form the holes in which the 
plants are to be set. 

For setting the plants, a small flat dibber is used ; 
a home-made one will serve the purpose well. A piece of 
seasoned hard wood, 1 inch square and 6 inches long, 
should be shaved down to a flat point, and a handle fixed 
across the top. Such a tool can be made easily and 
quickly, or one may have steel ones made by a blacksmith ; 
these will be found better, but where a good many hands 
are being worked, the expense will be worth considering. 



140 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

To set the plant, the dibber is inserted on the line and 
pressed away from the planter; the plants are set in 
with the other hand ; the dibber is then removed, and set 
in the ground just beyond, and the soil pressed firmly 
to the plant. This operation insures that the soil will be 
pressed firmly about the roots. The plants must be set 
perpendicularly, or an ill-shaped onion will result. When 
one has many hands at work, they should be divided into 
squads, each placed under a careful foreman, who should 
see that the work is done properly and keep the planters 
supplied with sets. 

The seedlings may be removed from the seed-bed by 
passing a trowel under the row and lifting a number of 
them at once; then separate them from the soil and 
trim off the long roots and leaves. The leaves are in 
the way of later cultivation, and the roots bother in 
planting. 

If the young onion plants do not start off readily, and 
the conditions of temperature and moisture are correct, a 
light dressing of nitrate of soda will be found valuable. 
One grower advises the use of 75 pounds of nitrate of soda 
to the acre. An application is made as soon as the field 
has been set out ; and a repetition of this is made about 
every ten days, until five applications have been given. 
If this is done when the plants are free from dew and rain, 
there will be no difficulty from scalding the foliage. It 
should not be carried on too long, as it will keep the onions 
growing after they should have ripened ; this same diffi- 
culty will be experienced if one uses a fertilizer containing 
an unusual amount of nitrogen, or if one uses a complete 
fertilizer on muckland. 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 141 

Cultivation of onions. 

"Tillage is manure" is an old and true saying, but in 
cultivating onions one must be careful that it is done 
properly. There are just two points to be kept in mind ; 
to keep the weeds down, and to conserve the moisture in 
the soil. The former is well understood by all gardeners, 
and needs but to be mentioned ; the second, however, is 
usually overlooked ; many persons recognize the value of 
working land during dry times, but do not know why it 
has the desired effect on the crops. At least an inch of 
loose soil should be kept on the ground as a mulch during 
dry times. 

For hand cultivation, the single-wheel hoe is un- 
doubtedly the best machine now on the market. What- 
ever tool is used, it should not penetrate the ground 
more than an inch, and in no case touch the bulbs of 
the plants. 

If the field is to be cultivated by horse power, it will 
require a cultivator made especially for that purpose; 
there is no difficulty in training a horse or mule to do the 
work well, and a great deal of hard work can be avoided 
by so doing. In the onion-growing sections, the land is 
too costly to permit the use of a horse, and the wheel hoes 
are used exclusively. 

The workers in the field carry a bag with them to receive 
any purslane or other weed that may have been missed or 
allowed to grow to flowering size. All these large weeds 
are carried to the edge of the field and thrown in heaps to 
rot. There are very few fields that are free enough of weed 
seed to grow a crop without some hand weeding; this 



142 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

should be done with a knife, that is, large weeds should 
not be pulled when growing in the row. For this purpose 
there are knives made, which may be obtained from most 
supply stores, but an old case-knife may be bent into good 
shape without costing as much. The point is turned up to 
lessen the danger of hacking into the onion plants as the 
knife is being used. The ordinary garden-hoes do not 
work well in the fields ; a worn-out one that has been cut 
down to half its width, so as to leave the corners acute, 
will work fairly well. A sharp Dutch or thrust-hoe is 
also useful for weeding onions. All tools should be kept as 
sharp as the steel will permit ; a dull hoe will soon use up 
more time than would pay for a new one. 

The large-scale method of onion-growing. 

The large-scale method of raising onions, where labor 
is expensive, is to sow the seed in the field where the crop 
is to grow. This method is followed in many onion- 
growing sections. The land is prepared in the same way 
as for setting out. Sowing is best done by a seed drill. 
The drill is set so it will sow from 12 to 36 seeds to the 
linear foot, according to the variety and the germinating 
quality of the seed. The rows should be made from 
15 to 20 inches apart for hand culture, and 2 to 3 feet for 
horse culture. In dry weather, the seed is very slow to 
germinate. It has been known to lie in the ground for 
six weeks without a perceptible change. To anticipate 
such a condition, one should mix radish or rape seed with 
the onion seed in such proportion that one of these seeds 
will be dropped about every foot. Radish and rape seeds 
spring up quickly and are easily seen. They will mark the 



* Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 143 

rows, so that cultivation can be carried on before the onions 
are up. If a beating rain occurs before the onions are 
showing or as they are just appearing, it is liable to smother 
the young and tender seedlings ; but by cultivating after 
a heavy rain, the water draws off rapidly and does less 
damage. Of course, this cannot be practiced on strong 
clay soil. 

It is only in an exceptional year that onions can be 
grown with profit in this way on weedy land. All weeds 
in the middle should be kept down by the use of a hoe or a 
wheel hoe. The weeding, or removing of weeds from the 
row, is at best a slow and expensive task; often the 
workmen have to get down on their knees and elbows. 
Only competent laborers should be employed; incompe- 
tent ones are likely to disturb the seedlings, or simply pull 
the tops off the weeds ; either of which might go without 
detection for a week. 

Curing the onion crop. 

When the larger part of the tops fall, it is a sign of their 
being ripe. The crop should be pulled and allowed to dry, 
which will take about a week of dry weather. If a rain 
occurs, it will be necessary to turn the bulbs, which can be 
done by using a garden rake with dull teeth ; but rain is 
apt to bleach the crop and so damage the sale. This is 
best prevented by taking the onions to a curing shed; 
which simply needs a roof to keep the rain off, and possibly 
some movable sides for rainbreaks, to prevent a driving 
rain from beating in. 

The tops should not be removed until they are dry, when 
they break easily and can be stripped off without difficulty. 



144 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

It is usually better to push the crop forward as early as 
possible. The maturing may be hastened somewhat 
by knocking the tops over. 

As soon as the roots loosen their hold on the ground, the 
onions may be pulled, as there is some danger of their 
making a second start if the season is rainy. In such a 
case they must be drawn out and cured quickly. In a 
dry storing room, onions may be kept for a long time, in 
order to await a favorable market. 

Crating onions. 

It is not necessary to use a fine material to make onion 
crates ; the poorer quality left from sorting tomato crates 
will be found to bring as good a price as the finer ones. 
In packing, the crates should be well filled to prevent the 
onions from being bruised, as they rot down very quickly. 
All culls should be removed from the field, and composted, 
to prevent them from drawing insects and growing fungi. 

Raising onions from sets. 

The earliest onions to mature in the North are those 
raised from sets or small bulbs. The operation differs 
from the transplanting of young onions only in that the 
sets are in a dormant state and are handled more easily. 
The general directions remain the same. 

Varieties. 

The only onion mentioned in the previous pages is the 
Bermuda, but it should not be understood that this is the 
only one worthy of trial. It grows to a very large size 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 145 

and develops early. Its mild flavor and clear white color 
make it a favorite on the table. The seed is high priced, 
and much spurious material is on the market every year ; 
therefore, one should buy only of reliable seedsmen. It 
should not be understood that all true Bermudas are 
white, as there is also a red kind on the market. The 
Bermudas have given the best results in Florida. When 
the seed is sown late in the fall in northern climates, the 
tops die down while the bulbs are still small. In this 
way sets are obtained. These sets may be used in place 
of seed, but will be found much more expensive, and will 
probably not pay, except for home use. 

The varieties recommended for subtropical culture are : 
White Bermuda, Crystal Wax, and Red Bermuda. 

Yellow Danvers is an excellent variety which grows well 
from seed ; of good quality and a fair shipper. The bulb 
is nearly round and of a brownish yellow color. 

White Portugal is the leading white variety, and on 
account of its color, flavor, and shape, it usually commands 
a good price. It is not a good keeper; it will stand 
marketing, however. 

Giant Rocca is an Italian onion which grows well in the 
southern United States. Red Creole (Plate VII) has been 
long grown in Louisiana, and is well suited to the cool season 
of subtropical countries. The Top or Tree onion bears 
bulbils in place of the seed. These bulbils are planted to 
produce young onions for bunching. White Multiplier 
is used largely for pickling. It is highly prized, because 
of its white color and small, plump bulbs. It is reproduced 
by small offsets or bulbs forming at the base of the one 
planted. (See Plate VII.) 



146 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Costs in onion-growing. 

The Bermuda onion is a staple vegetable, and hence 
never brings a fancy price, but southern vegetable-growing 
will not be on a settled foundation until those engaged in it 
are prepared to produce crops on narrow margins that will 
compete with other sections that are near the market. 
This crop brings on an average eighty cents in the field 
for a bushel crate. If one can be certain of a profit of 
ten cents a crate, the investment will be a profitable one. 
The expense of raising an acre of Bermuda onions is about 
as follows in Texas : 

Clearing, plowing, and fertilizing $70 

Seed 9 

Transplanting 20 

Irrigation 15 

Cultivating and weeding 16 

Harvesting 20 

Interest on investment 20 

$170 

An acre should raise from 200 to 300 bushels. If, then, 
one is certain of eighty cents a bushel, one will have a net 
profit of $70. This is 40 per cent on the money invested. 

In Florida the labor is probably more expensive than 
in Texas. 

Bulletins. 

Onions and Bunch Crops, Tex. Bulletin 77, 1904. 
Fertilizer Tests with Onions, Tex. Bulletin 115, 1908. 
Onion Culture, Farmers' Bulletin 354, 1909. 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 147 



LEEK 

The leek is very tolerant of differences of temperature. 
Like some other biennials, it is fitted to endure both the 
heat of summer and the cold of winter. Hence it may be 
grown with success as far north as Scotland and as far 
south as the outer tropics. When large and blanched it 
retains but little of the strong onion flavor, and has even 
attained the position of a national vegetable in Wales. 
The leek is not so popular as the onion, because it cannot 
be stored like onion bulbs, but for a vegetable-garden in 
temperate regions during the summer, or in subtropical 
and tropical countries during the cool season it is well 
worth growing. The allyl sulfide found in the onion and 
leek is a nerve stimulant. Leeks are cooked in the same 
way as onions, and the leaves are often stewed along with 
the blanched lower part of the plant. Leeks have been 
grown well in Florida, the West Indies, and India. 

Leek has not been grown in the southern United States 
for distant markets, though it stands shipping well. There 
has not been a demand for it excepting at the season when 
the northern markets supplied it. If it is known that a 
certain vegetable is not in the market, persons will not 
demand it, but as soon as it is available, there will be a 
market for it. 

During September, or early in October, a bed should be 
prepared to receive the seed. Care should be exercised 
not to allow the soil to become dry, as the seed may fail 
under such treatment. The weeds should be kept down 
and if the days become unusually warm, the seedlings 
shaded. When the plants are about 6 inches high, they 



148 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

should be taken up carefully and transplanted to the field. 
In taking up leeks, it is a good practice to run a spade 
under the row and lift the plants ; then, as the soil separates, 
they will be removed without injury. If the leaves happen 
to be long, cut them back a third. 

The soil should be a strong loam ; if a clayey loam, it 
must have good drainage. The land should be fertilized 
heavily, and plowed thoroughly, but not deeply. Before 
plowing, all rubbish should have been removed from 
the ground. The soil should be pulverized well, and the 
rows laid off 18 inches or 2 feet apart, and the plants set 
6 inches or a foot apart in the row. 

The fertilizer material prepared for onions will also be 
good for this crop. Leeks can stand more nitrogenous 
matter and grow more slowly, hence it is advisable to use 
more nitrogen and to use it in a form that will not dissipate 
readily ; such materials as barnyard manure and compost 
are better than the commercial forms. If commercial 
fertilizers are relied upon, it will be better to make several 
applications. 

Transplanting may be done during any moist time; 
usually watering is not necessary; in other respects, the 
manipulation of transplanting is like that of onions. The 
plants are set 3 to 6 inches deep. They may be blanched 
by earthing up or boarding. 

In preparing for market, the plants are dug and the 
outer dry leaves peeled off. If the shipment is for a near 
market, the plants may be washed ; but if they will be four 
or five days in transit, it is not advisable to use water 
at all. They are tied in bunches of six or eight and packed 
in crates. 



Vegetables with Edible Bulbs 149 

The variety known as Large Flag has a strong lead. 
Mussellburgh, Carantan and Rouen are other good varie- 
ties. 

The seed of leeks may be collected in the same way as 
that of onions. 

SHALLOT 

Shallot is a close relative of the onion. It is but little 
grown in the United States. The bulbs are like mild 
onions, and are used like onions for flavoring and for pick- 
ling. The shallot is not grown from seeds, but from young 
bulbs which arise as in the multiplier onion. It grows 
well in subtropical countries, and in the cool season of the 
tropics, and is worth growing where good onions cannot 
be raised. The bulbs may be obtained from European 
seedsmen. The culture is the same as for onion sets. 



CHIVE 

The chive is a native of the northern hemisphere, 
closely related to the onion, and is grown mainly for its 
leaves. They are milder and more tender than those of 
the onion, and are used for salads and for seasoning soups. 
It may be multiplied by division, from thebulblets, or from 
seed. Chive is not cultivated to the extent of making a 
crop, but it is frequently sold in northern markets as an 
early spring vegetable. It may be grown in tropical 
gardens, where it is a useful ingredient of salads. The 
rows are made about 18 inches apart and the plants set 
about 2 inches apart in the row. The leaves grow again 
after being cut to the ground. 



150 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



GARLIC 

This strong smelling bulb is a close relative of the onion, 
but has flat leaves like the leek. It is used in cookery by 
some of the Mediterranean people, by the natives of India 
and of other warm countries. It is probable that it is 
used for the stimulating effect of the allyl sulfide, but most 
persons are averse to the use of such highly-odored food. 
Garlic was once employed as a medicine. The crop is 
grown from the bulblets which form around the main 
bulb. These can be planted out at the beginning of the 
cool season about 2 inches deep and 7 to 9 inches apart. 
When ripe, the bulbs are dried and stored like onions. 
In some tropical American countries, the bulbs are sold 
in strands made by braiding the partially dried leaves 
with the bulbs attached. 




Plate VIII. — Melons. 
Top, Rocky Ford muskmelon ; bottom, field marked off for muskmelons. 



CHAPTER XIII 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE FRUITS— THE 
CUCURBITS 

A fruit is a direct product of a flower. Many of the 
crops that we class as vegetables are really fruits. Of such 
are those discussed in this chapter, which are frequently 
called cucurbits because they belong to the Cucurbitacese 
or squash family. These are the muskmelon and cu- 
cumber, belonging to the genus Cucumis ; the watermelon, 
of the genus Citrullus; the squash and pumpkin, of the 
genus Cucurbita ; and the chayote, belonging to the genus 
Sechium. They are all warm-country plants, and will not 
withstand frost. The seeds are large and flat and ger- 
minate quickly. 

CANTALOUPE 

The muskmelon, usually called cantaloupe in the south- 
ern United States, is grown in most subtropical countries, 
and acclimated varieties are cultivated in the East and 
West Indies, and in other tropical lands. The melon 
succeeds very well in dry climates with irrigation. The 
cultivated melons came from South Asia, but many 
varieties have originated in the United States, where the 
muskmelon is now a staple crop from Florida to Illinois 
and Colorado. 

151 



152 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Soil and preparation. 

The soil used for ordinary gardening will be found well 
adapted to this crop. While muskmelons grow well in a 
stiff clay soil, they are later in maturing than in warm 
loam. 

The ordinary preparation will give good results. The 
land should be plowed shallow, but all turned. If it is 
a light, sandy loam, four furrows turned together will 
make a sufficient bed to plant on. 

Fertilizer. 

The proportions of fertilizer ingredients for cantaloupes 
should be as follows : ammonia, 3^ per cent ; available 
phosphoric acid, 8 per cent; potash, 8 per cent. Use 
1000 to 1500 pounds of the above formula to an acre. 
If the soil is poor in nitrogenous matter, the ammonia 
should be increased to 5 per cent. 

The following table gives the amounts of different 
fertilizers that may be used to obtain as much of each ele- 
ment as the formula calls for : 

Pounds to the Acre 

500 to 750 cottonseed meal ; or 
300 to 450 dried blood ; or 
225 to 350 nitrate of soda; or 
200 to 300 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia . . 



Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



800 to 1200 acid phosphate. 

1000 to 1500kainit; or 

160 to 225 muriate of potash ; or 

160 to 225 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

300 to 450 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 153 

Planting and cultivating muskmelons. 

Muskmelons may be treated like cucumbers, and 
planted in paper pots, or veneer baskets, and then set 
out in the field ; or the seed may be planted in the field. 
The rows are made 6 feet apart (Plate VIII), and the hills 
put from 3 to 6 feet apart in the row, according to the 
variety. If the land is rich, or a liberal amount of fertilizer 
has been used, the plants may be allowed to grow as close 
as a foot in the row. From four to eight seeds are 
dropped where a plant is desired, and when the vines be- 
gin to run they should be thinned out to one or two in a 
hill. 

The cultivation must be shallow, but kept up constantly, 
and the weeds kept down. 

Marketing muskmelons. 

The smaller kinds are ready to pick when the stalk 
begins to crack. If picked too green, they never ripen. 
Rocky Ford melons are usually packed in standard crates 
20 by 12 by 12 inches, holding 45 melons, and shipped 
by a refrigerator car. They may be graded according to 
the degree of netting, which has been found to correspond 
with the quality of the fruit. 

Saving melon seed. 

No difficulty will arise from planting muskmelons and 
watermelons in the same field. There is no danger of 
hybridizing these two species, but seed should not be 
saved where different varieties of muskmelons have been 
planted in the same field. 



154 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The seed is saved in the same way as directed for cucum- 
bers. It has been claimed that muskmelon seed saved in 
the South for several seasons is superior in more than one 
way to northern-grown seed. 

The seed may be kept for several years under proper 
conditions without losing its vitality. 

Enemies. 

The rust of muskmelons which injures the quality of 
the fruit can be obviated by proper selection of varieties, 
and by rotation. It is readily prevented by spraying 
with fungicide. 

The insect enemies are much the same as those of the 
cucumber. 

Varieties of melons. 

The Rocky Ford (Plate VIII) strain of Netted Gem, 
which is extensively grown in Colorado, is the staple variety 
in the northern markets. A rust-resisting race of this has 
been developed. Other shipping varieties are Osage, 
Hackensack, and Montreal Market. New Orleans Mar- 
ket and Augusta Market are varieties much grown in 
the South for local use. 

Bulletins. 

The Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Industry, Colo. Bulletin 108, 1906. 
Melon Culture, N. Mex. Bulletin 63, 1907. 
Cantaloupe Breeding, Colo. Bulletin 126, 1908. 
Commercial Melon-Growing, Ind. Bulletin 123, 1908. 
Marketing the Muskmelon, 111. Bulletin 124, 1908. 
Growing Better Gems, Ind. Bulletin 135, 1909. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 155 



WATERMELON 

The watermelon is a tropical plant, and grows well in 
tropical and even equatorial lands. They are grown in 
the southern United States to a greater extent than any- 
where else in the world, and the best varieties have 
originated there. 

Soil. 

Watermelons will flourish and make an excellent crop 
on warm sandy soils. Heavy or soggy land should not 
be chosen, nor will thirsty soil produce a good crop ; 
however, this plant has a wider range of soil than any 
other raised for market in the South. The profits an acre 
from raising watermelons are usually so small that from 
inferior soil they are practically nothing. Also, the early 
shipments, as a rule, bring good returns, while the later 
ones are liable to go at a loss. 

The plowing should be shallow but thorough. While 
the roots do not penetrate deeply, they grow out for a long 
distance from the hill, and in no case should the fertilizer 
be so deeply placed as to coax the roots to an unnatural 
stratum. 

Fertilizer for watermelons. 

For watermelons, the fertilizer proportion should be 
as follows : ammonia, 3| per cent ; available phosphoric 
acid, 8 per cent; potash, 8 per cent. Use from 800 to 
1200 pounds of this formula to the acre. If the soil is 
rich with nitrogenous matter, ammonia may be omitted 
altogether. Too much nitrogen makes overgrown melons, 



156 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



poor shippers, and an insipid product. From the fore- 
going, it should not be considered that fertilizer can pro- 
duce a fine crop from a poor variety, but by properly 
balancing the fertilizer a fine crop can often be raised 
when otherwise it would fail. 

The following table gives approximate fertilizer for- 
mulae : 

Pounds to the Acre 

' 400 to 600 cottonseed meal ; or 

250 to 350 dried blood ; or 

175 to 250 nitrate of soda; or 

150 to 200 sulfate of ammonia. 

650 to 900 acid phosphate. 

' 800 to 1200 kainit ; or 

125 to 200 muriate of potash ; or 

125 to 200 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

, 250 to 300 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



Planting watermelons. 

The land should be laid off in checks about 6 by 6 feet 
and the fertilizer put in the hill. One should not deceive 
himself into the belief that it is sufficient to run a plow 
through the hill once or twice to mix the fertilizer with the 
soil. The melon-grower who uses commercial fertilizer 
must, sooner or later, learn that to mix the fertilizer 
thoroughly with the soil means about three times as much 
work as most growers usually put into it. The fertilizer 
should be scattered in a circle about three feet in diameter 
about the place where the hill is to stand, and applied 
a week or ten days before planting. Some successful 
growers now work the fertilizer in the furrow, and then 
turn up beds instead of hilling. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 157 

A crop may be brought in early by using paper flower- 
pots and potting soil as described for cucumbers, but the 
pots should be a size larger than for cucumbers. 

When seeds are sown in the field, they may be sown in a 
shorter time after fertilizing than when plants are set out. 
Six to twelve seeds are dropped in a hill. Insects and 
vermin will destroy so many that but few will have to be 
thinned out. Thinning to one plant is claimed to give 
larger melons. If cottonseed meal has been used as a 
source of nitrogen — and this is advisable — a teaspoonful 
of nitrate of soda may be scattered in the hill just after 
the seedlings have appeared above the ground, or when 
the plants are set out. This will stimulate the plants to 
a rapid growth, and get them out of the way of insects. 

Cultivating. 

All cultivation of watermelons should be shallow, merely 
to keep the surface mellow and free from weeds. As soon 
as practicable after heavy rains, the field should be culti- 
vated ; and when no rains occur, it should be cultivated 
every week or ten days, depending upon the kind of land. 
It is not necessary to till all the middles while the plants are 
small, though weeds should not be allowed to go to seed ; 
but if the weather is dry, the middles must be worked to 
conserve the moisture in the soil, and all weeds kept down, 
as each one of these is a leak to so much soil moisture. 
The horse weeder will be very useful at this time. As 
the plants grow larger, the cultivation has to be pushed 
farther to the middles until finally the plants meet across 
the rows, when tillage must be discontinued. If tall 
weeds grow in the field after this, they should be cut off, 



158 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

not pulled, as the vines are fastened to these by their 
tendrils and must not be disturbed. Cowpeas may be 
sown broadcast at the last cultivation so as to fix the vines 
against wind. 

Marketing watermelons. 

Marketing is a simple operation, and yet many fail from 
various causes. Experience alone can guide one as to how 
ripe the crop must be to reach the market in time. In 
loading the car, care must be exercised to have all the prod- 
uct of uniform size and ripeness. The melons are then 
placed regularly and carefully, the long diameter being 
placed lengthwise of the car. 

Saving seed. 

Only the finest watermelon specimens, and those on 
vines free from disease, should be selected for seed. 
Melons intended for seed may be marked by scratching 
the rind ; and as soon as the marked fruit is full grown, 
the other melons on those vines should be removed, so as 
to throw as much vitality into the seeds as possible. The 
melons should be allowed to become completely ripe, and 
then removed to the packing house. They are cut in 
two lengthwise and the flesh and seeds removed. The 
flesh is dropped into a tub, and mashed well without in- 
juring the seeds, and placed in a warm spot. The pulp 
is turned into a barrel. In about forty-eight hours 
the material will have fermented enough to macerate 
the flesh ; the seeds may then be removed, by washing in 
a No. 2 sieve. The seeds must not be allowed to remain 
in the barrel longer than about sixty hours, as the heat 



Vegetables ivith Edible Fruits 159 

generated is liable to make them sprout. As soon as the 
seeds are washed they should be drained and dried quickly 
without any heat. Melon seeds have been kept for twelve 
years without losing vitality. 

Diseases and insects. 

The watermelon is subject to practically the same pests 
as the cucumber and the muskmelon. The profit an acre 
on a crop of watermelons is so small, however, that the 
ordinary methods of combating insects and diseases are 
unprofitable. On this account the grower rarely plants 
a crop of watermelons on the same land in successive 
years. The aphis may be successfully combated by 
using finely ground tobacco dust. The campaign must 
be begun immediately on discovery of the aphis, and it 
is best to destroy the hills in which the first attack is 
discovered. 

Varieties of watermelon. 

In choosing a variety to raise, one should be sure that 
the meat is solid and the rind hard and strong, if wanted 
for a distant market. The following varieties will be 
found good : Tom Watson, Kolb Gem, Florida Favorite, 
Augusta Rattlesnake, Lord Bacon, and Duke Jones. 

For home use and local markets, much will depend on 
the local demands: usually, these want a small, or 
medium-sized melon, very sweet, with thin rind and red- 
fleshed. The following varieties will be found to be 
useful : Seminole, Ice Cream, and Mountain Sweet. 
If the last-mentioned is desired, be sure that seed from a 
good strain is obtained. 



160 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Bulletins and papers. 

Watermelons, Ga. Bulletin 38, 1897. 
Growing Watermelons, N. H. Bulletin 86, 1901. 
Watermelon Culture in Georgia, Cyclopedia of American Horti- 
culture, 1904. 
Melon Culture, N. Mex. Bulletin 63, March, 1907. 



CUCUMBER 

Local kinds of cucumbers are grown in India and the 
West Indies. The varieties from temperate regions often 
suffer greatly from the attacks of beetles, but can be 
grown, with care, in the cool season, or on the mountains. 

The cucumber has become one of the leading vegetables 
for the Lower South. It stands shipping to distant 
markets remarkably well. Where killing frosts occur, the 
seedlings should be started in a coldframe or in a hotbed. 
For every acre to be planted, 1200 2-inch paper flower- 
pots should be procured ; the same number of 4-inch, 
and if very early cucumbers are wanted, the same num- 
ber of 6-inch pots. Only the best seed should be 
used and four planted in each pot. These pots should 
be filled with good potting soil to within a half-inch of 
the top ; this should be done six weeks earlier than the last 
frost usually occurs, if it is intended to use only the two 
smaller sizes of pots, but about nine weeks, if the three 
sizes are to be used. The cost of the pots in the former 
case will be less than $9 ; in the latter, about $25. There is 
is no doubt that one could obtain a liberal discount on 
these pots if a large quantity were bought at one time. If 
the pots are not sunk into the sand, they will last for 
two crops. During their growth, the plants should be 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 161 

examined frequently to see that they do not become pot- 
bound. They should be shifted to a larger pot as soon as 
the soil is permeated by the roots. This may be tested 
by removing the soil from one of the pots, which may be 
done easily as follows : Hold a pot upside down and press 
on the bottom ; the soil will come out and the condition 
of the roots can be examined without difficulty. As soon 
as the roots have taken up most of the space in the pot, 
the plant should be shifted to a larger one. 

The seeds may also be sown at once in 4-inch pots, or in 
strawberry baskets, and set out from these in the field. 
In Louisiana the early plants are often protected by single 
panes of glass. Soaking the seeds twenty-four hours 
before sowing causes quicker germination. 

If the plants show any signs of yellowing, they may be 
restored to health by a light application of liquid manure. 
They should not be transferred to the field until two weeks 
after danger of frost is past ; and if the spring is cold and 
backward, it is better to keep the plants under the pro- 
tecting cloth. Some vegetable-raisers may object to this 
method as being expensive. However, it does away with 
the first two plowings, and the plants are further advanced, 
and so less subject to insect and fungus attacks. The 
striped cucumber beetle and aphis rarely get a start on 
pot-grown plants. The amount of seed required will be 
reduced to a minimum. The most important considera- 
tion, however, is that the first pickings will be two weeks 
or a month earlier than they would have been had the seed 
been planted in the field. 

Another very successful method, and one that is em- 
ployed a great deal, but is somewhat more crude, is to 

M 



162 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

prepare a coldframe with fibrous soil and to transplant 
the seedlings from this. When the plants have arrived 
at the proper stage for setting out, they may be success- 
fully removed from the coldframe in the following manner : 
Prepare from fifty to a hundred two-pound tomato or 
vegetable cans by throwing them in a fire to remove the 
top and bottom and also to unsolder the side. When one 
is ready to begin the operation of transplanting, this 
cylinder of tin is pressed firmly into the soil in such a 
manner as to leave the cucumber plant in the center. 
If the soil is fibrous and moist, the plant can now be readily 
lifted from the seed-bed in the cylinder of tin and trans- 
ferred to the field with only slight injury. If the soil is 
not sufficiently fibrous to be held in the cylinder readily, 
a trowel may be inserted under it and thus aid in trans- 
ferring the plant. Several boards large enough to hold 
from a dozen to two dozen such cylinders may be used to 
good advantage. A board should be placed so that the 
cylinder holding a plant can be slipped on to it readily. 
When the board contains a convenient number of plants, 
it may be removed to a cart. In the field the cylinders 
containing the plants are set out in the proper places, the 
soil firmed around them, and the cylinders drawn out; 
then the watering and further firming of the soil completes 
the operation. 

Protecting cucumbers from frosts. 

In some parts of the South, large areas, sometimes ten 
acres in extent, are put under canvas for growing lettuce 
during the colder part of the year. When the warmer 
season approaches, the canvas is no longer needed for 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 163 

protecting the lettuce. As soon as the crop of lettuce 
matures, cucumber seeds are planted at proper intervals 
in these beds. When light frosts occur in the late spring, 
the canvas can be readily spread to protect the cucumbers 
from frosts that would not injure lettuce. In this way the 
beds may be made to serve the double purpose of growing 
crops of lettuce during the colder part of the year, and 
when the warmer weather approaches, large yields of 
cucumbers will mature early in such beds. (See Plate V.) 
Another way of protecting cucumbers against late 
frosts is illustrated in Plate I. In this V-shaped troughs 
are made, the primary object of these being to distribute 
water to the cucumber field. The sluice way and V-shaped 
troughs are illustrated in Plate I, the sluice way to the right 
carrying an abundance of water, the V-shaped troughs 
lying beside the young cucumber plants. When a frost 
may be expected, it is easy to overturn the V-shaped 
troughs on to the young cucumber plants and thus cause 
them to escape from a destructive cold spell. 

Soil and preparation of the cucumber field. 

A light sandy loam on a southern slope will be found 
admirable for cucumbers. The low flat lands or bottoms 
should be avoided. If a warm sandy loam is not accessible, 
an upland clay may be used ; this will raise as large a crop 
as a sandy loam, or larger, but will not be quite so early. 
The field should be plowed to a medium depth, turning it 
over well. While the cucumber is partial to the finer 
grades of fertilizer, it will thrive on coarser material than 
many other plants. Any form of decaying organic 
material may be utilized to advantage. The field is laid 



164 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

off in rows 6 feet apart, and the hills from 4 to 6 feet 
apart in the row. Two weeks before the field is to be 
planted, the rows and checks are laid off, and the amount 
of fertilizer desired is dropped and worked in the hills. 
If commercial or other concentrated fertilizer is to be used, 
it must be worked in thoroughly. The crop rarely suffers 
from over-fertilizing in the field, but frequently is ruined 
by improper fertilization. 

Two weeks after fertilizing a field, it is usually safe to 
plant the seed or set out plants. If the seed is planted, 
about half a dozen should be dropped in a hill. When the 
plants begin to run, the hill should be reduced to two to 
four plants. Some of the missing hills may be supplied 
by lifting a part of a full hill on a hoe and setting it 
in place. If plants are set out, the pots are removed and 
the ball of earth set an inch below the surface of the ground. 

Fertilizer for cucumbers. 

The first application of fertilizer should be made about 
two weeks before the seed is sown or plants set out. Five 
hundred pounds of the following formula may be used on 
ordinary sandy loam : ammonia, 6 per cent ; available 
phosphoric acid, 4 per cent ; potash, 5 per cent. 

It will be found advisable to employ a chemical in which 
the nitrogen is quickly available to supply one half of the 
ammonia. The following combination is largely used by 
the commercial cucumber-growers in Florida : 

100 pounds nitrate of soda, 
100 pounds dried blood, 17 per cent ammonia, 
150 pounds acid phosphate, 14 per cent available, 
50 pounds muriate of potash. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 165 

As soon as the vines are beginning to produce the fruiting 
bloom and to produce runners, a second application of 
the following formula is made : ammonia, 3 per cent ; 
available phosphoric acid, 4 per cent ; potash, 8 per cent. 

The following ingredients will give approximately the 
amount of plant-food contained in 500 pounds of the 
above formula : this is the amount to an acre usually 
employed. 

50 pounds nitrate of soda, 
50 pounds dried blood, 17 per cent ammonia, 
150 pounds acid phosphate, 14 per cent available, 
80 pounds muriate of potash. 

This fertilizer should be applied a short distance away 
from the hill and scattered evenly on the ground out to a 
distance of three or four feet from the hill. It is worked 
in either by hand implements or cultivators. 

If the vines are showing a lack of vigor, or a lack of 
healthy color, much good can be done frequently by 
applying from 50 to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda or nitrate 
of potash. This material should be applied broadcast 
at a time when the leaves are perfectly dry, otherwise 
scalding of the leaves will occur to a greater or lesser degree. 
If the conditions are such as to permit any of the chemical 
to remain lodged in the leaves, scalding is almost certain 
to follow. 

Cultivating cucumbers. 

Where the seed is sown in the field or plants from a cold- 
frame set out, the land must be in the best of tilth. If 
warm dry weather follows the time of sowing, the first 



166 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

plowing may be delayed ten days ; but by this time the 
cultivator should be used on each side of the row, and a 
week after this plowing the rows should be cross-plowed. 
If plants have been set out, the plowing should not be 
delayed so long. This plowing is not so much to kill 
out young weeds as to get air into the soil, and to conserve 
the moisture. If rains occur soon after planting, no 
time should be lost in loosening the soil; this will help 
to let off the surplus water besides aerating and warming 
the soil. 

It is usually not necessary to cultivate the middles 
deeply oftener than twice a month, just often enough to 
keep the land in good condition. An implement known 
as a weeder and drawn by one or two horses is excellent 
for keeping the middles in proper tilth. As the vines grow 
out from the hills, the "middles" will decrease in width 
until finally the vines meet and plowing must be suspended. 
In case the vines begin to run too much, their tips should be 
cut off ; this will cause new laterals to be formed and the 
hill to grow compact. It is not good to disturb a vine, 
as this loosens its hold and gives the wind a chance to 
mutilate it. If the hill is kept compact by heading in the 
runners, the vines will cling to one another, and prevent 
any damage from their being blown about. 

Picking and packing. 

Cucumbers are "ripe" when the blossom end has filled 
out well. It is best to allow them to get as large as possible 
without letting the seed harden. As soon as the shell 
around the seed begins to harden they are no longer sal- 
able ; this can be learned by testing a few. One will find 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 167 

that this will differ with the variety. If by chance some 
have been left too long on the vine, they should be pulled 
as soon as possible. A ripening cucumber saps the vitality 
of a vine to a remarkable degree. Culls and wormy 
fruits should also be removed and destroyed immediately. 
Sometimes culls can be sold in the local market to advan- 
tage, but it will not pay to ship them. 

Cucumbers are usually shipped in special carriers. 
(Plate XI.) They should be picked while dry, taken to the 
packing house, sorted and crated. They are laid in quickly 
and evenly, pressed down with a lever, and the top fastened. 
The product should not be bruised or loose enough to 
shake in the crate in transit. It is necessary to pick a 
field three times a week. The amount that an acre will 
produce seems incredible to those who have not raised a 
full crop; while 200 or 300 crates may be considered a 
fair crop, yields of 600, 800, and even 900 crates to the 
acre, have been reported. 

Saving cucumber seed. 

The seed may be kept some years without serious loss of 
vitality, though fresh seed is preferred. If the shipping 
season should be short, the remainder of the crop may be 
allowed to ripen. Saving seed is simple, easy and prof- 
itable. The ripe cucumbers are gathered, of course only 
the perfectly formed ones being selected. The fruit is 
cut into halves lengthways, and the seed and pulp scraped 
out into a barrel, which may be filled half or three-fourths 
full but not more, as otherwise the fermenting would 
cause it to run over. The material is allowed to remain 
in the barrel from two to five days to ferment, when the 



168 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

mucilage will have disappeared from the seeds. It should 
be stirred once or twice a day to mix the whole thoroughly, 
so that the fermentation will go on evenly. As soon as 
the seed will wash clean, it should be removed from the 
barrel. 

If one has a hydrant or force-pump, the work of cleaning 
seed can be greatly facilitated. A number 3 and a number 
10 sieve should be provided beforehand for this work; 
these can be obtained from most hardware stores. A large 
tub should also be provided. This tub should be filled with 
water and the number 3 sieve filled with some of the 
pulp from the barrel immersed. While the sieve is under 
water, the pulp is worked about to separate the seeds; 
these being heavier pass through the sieve, while most of 
the pulp and pieces of rind are caught. When nearly all 
the seeds have passed through, the sieve is rinsed out 
and the pulp removed. The operation is repeated until 
a barrel of material has been worked through. Some of 
the pieces of pulp that passed through the sieve can be 
floated off by forcing water among the seed. The seed is 
poured into the number 10 sieve and set aside to drain. 
Protecting cloth will be found excellent to dry the seeds 
on. They may be spread out to the sun for an hour or 
two, and the drying completed in the shade. When 
the seed is thoroughly dry, the remaining heavy particles 
are winnowed and finally sifted out through the number 
10 sieve. The seeds are then wrapped and labeled se- 
curely. It will be advisable to look out for mice and 
roaches as well as moisture. The seeds are wrapped in 
glazed paper or parchment paper and placed in a tight 
box. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 169 

As stated before, this seed has great vitality; conse- 
quently it can be kept for two or three years. 

Varieties. 

There are many varieties of cucumber that are com- 
mendable for forcing, but for field culture none exceeds 
in popularity the Improved White Spine. For home 
use an earlier variety, such as Early Russian or Early 
Cluster, may be raised ; and Japanese Climbing or Tele- 
graph are good varieties for trellising. 



SQUASH 

The squashes belong to at least three species. The 
summer squashes (of the crookneck and scallop type) are 
forms of Cucurbita Pepo; the field pumpkin of the North, 
used for stock feed and for pies, is a form of the same 
species. The large field squashes of the Hubbard and 
turban types are Cucurbita maxima. The winter squashes 
are mostly of the species C. moschata, although forms of 
C. maxima are good keepers. The summer squashes are 
probably native to America. These do not intercross 
with the winter squashes. Large squashes of any of the 
three species are usually called pumpkins. Squashes of 
some kind are grown in several parts of the tropics, and 
when acclimated often give better results than the first 
sowing of seed grown in a colder climate. 

It is thought by some persons that when watermelons 
and squashes, watermelons and muskmelons, water- 
melons and cucumbers, or any other combination of these 
vegetables, are planted together, they will produce hybrids, 



170 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

bees and other insects carrying the pollen. While this 
belief is firmly impressed on some gardeners, no botanist or 
horticulturist has yet been able to produce these hybrids. 
In no case has fruit set, but the blossoms have fallen as 
though not fertilized. Different varieties of squashes, 
however, will cross with one another freely. 

Choosing the soil for squashes. 

A good cucumber soil is also a good squash soil. Very 
rich land with but little sand in the soil is not adapted for 
squashes ; there will be an abundance of fruit, but it will be 
insipid and will rot easily. A piece of well-drained sandy 
muckland raises heavy crops of good fruit. For ship- 
ping, the early varieties are about the only ones that pay. 

Squashes have one advantage over melons and cucumbers, 
in that they can be grown on freshly-broken land. All 
that is necessary is to keep the land in a well-worked 
condition. It does not pay to neglect this crop. 

Fertilizers. 

Almost any kind of decaying organic matter will make 
a good manure for squashes. They respond to good treat- 
ment, however. The plants should not be allowed to 
exhaust the fertilizer which is in the soil in an available 
form, before more is applied. If the fertilizer is well 
balanced, there will be no trouble arising from too much 
being used ; but care must be exercised not to use too much 
nitrogen. J. J. H. Gregory, who is the best authority 
on squash-raising in the country, applies an amount of 
manure that seems very large indeed, and at the close of 
his discussion on fertilizers he makes this pointed state- 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 171 

merit : " Catch a farmer of that class (one who fertilizes 
heavily) going backwards and putting on less and less 
manure on his ground, what a phenomenon he would be. 
No ; the progress of all enterprising farmers is in one 
direction. By extra manuring, the possibilities of re- 
ceiving extra paying returns are far greater in agricultural 
than in commercial life, as figures will readily show, 
though the popular belief is directly the contrary." 

Of all the plants that have been discussed, squashes 
can best stand top-dressing in fertilizing and are best 
adapted to hill fertilization. A plan that has long been 
followed, is to dig a circle about 2 feet in diameter and 
a foot deep, and fill in with fertilizer together with the 
earth taken out ; this will make a mole-hill-shaped mound 
when finished. The seeds are then planted on the top. 
This involves much unnecessary work with no advantage. 
A better way is to make the hills where wanted, fertilize 
heavily and mix well with the soil, but not stir more than 
6 or 8 inches deep, as the roots are surface feeders and 
should not be coaxed into the soil. The second applica- 
tion should be made when the vines begin to run, and 
must be placed some distance from the hill. 

Fertilizers for squashes. 

The fertilizer ingredients should be in the following 
proportions : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available phosphoric 
acid, 6 per cent ; potash, 8 per cent. Use 1000 to 1500 
pounds of the above formula to the acre. If nitrate of 
soda is used to supply the nitrogen, several applications 
will have to be given. It will be better, however, to use 
some less soluble form. 



172 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

The following amounts of fertilizers will give the prob- 
able desired amount of each element : 

Pounds to the Acre 



Ammonia 



650 to 1000 cottonseed meal ; or 
400 to 600 dried blood ; or 
300 to 400 nitrate of soda ; or 
200 to 300 sulfate of ammonia. 



Phosphoric acid . 600 to 750 acid phosphate. 



Potash 



1000 to 1500kainit; or 
160 to 225 muriate of potash ; or 
160 to 225 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 
300 to 450 low-grade sulfate of potash. 
Planting squashes. 

The hills are planted 4 by 4 or 8 by 8 feet apart, accord- 
ing as the plants are of the bush or running class, and the 
seed dropped directly in the field, about l\ pounds being 
required for an acre. There is less danger from insects 
than in the case of cucumbers. It is well to drop about 
six seeds to the hill and when the danger from insects is 
past, thin out to one or two plants. 

When a crop is wanted early, it can be obtained by 
following the directions given under the discussion of 
cucumbers. One should begin with a 4-inch pot, however. 
Some gardeners cut sods, turn them upside down, and plant 
seed on these in a coldframe or hotbed. This practice 
works very well with those who give careful attention to 
the growing of squashes, but with the novice, it fails 
oftener than it succeeds. The one important point to be 
kept in mind is, that the plant should never be checked 
in growth. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 173 

Cultivating. 

Soon after the earlier leaves appear, the squash plant 
seems to become weak near the ground, and is easily tossed 
about from one side to another by the wind, and often is 
broken off or at least severely bruised. This can be 
remedied by drawing the earth up to the plants with a hoe, 
but this should not be carried on so far as to make a hill 
for them to stand on ; just enough should be drawn up to 
hold the plant in place. 

As soon as the plants are set in the field, or as soon as the 
seedlings appear above the ground, the horse and plow 
should be set to work in the field. If the field is in good 
cultivation, there is not much use for a hoe; the filling 
referred to before can be done with a cultivator. If the 
season is dry, the top of the soil should be stirred often 
to conserve the moisture. During drought the weeds 
should be zealously kept down, as they cause great loss of 
moisture in the soil. 

When the vines begin to "run" they should grow very 
rapidly — some have been ascertained to grow fourteen 
inches in twenty-four hours. Therefore the field should be 
kept in the best condition before this time. It is a bad 
practice to pick the vines up and turn them from their 
course ; they are subsequently so easily broken by the wind 
that little or no fruit sets. 

When land is high-priced, squashes are planted as a 
second crop, or at the edge of some other crop, as corn. 

Marketing. 

Squashes are usually marketed in barrels or boxes. 
While many acres of squash have been grown in the 



174 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

South, it is not a crop to be relied upon for profit. The 
gardeners in the North are able to store and keep their fall 
crop over winter, so it is late in the spring before there is 
a great demand for the southern-grown produce. It is 
a good crop, however, to raise for home markets, and is so 
easily grown that every farmer or gardener can have 
squashes for family use. 

The seed does not keep its vitality as long as that of 
cucumbers ; the best way is to test it before planting. 

Varieties. 

For the northern market, the summer or bush class of 
squashes can be planted. Early White Bush, Scallop, 
and early Summer Crookneck are the best sellers. The 
Straightneck is easier to pack than the Crookneck. 
Golden Custard, English Marrow, and Italian Marrow are 
good varieties. 

For home use and home markets, the fall sorts will be the 
more profitable. Early Orange Marrow, Boston Marrow, 
Winter Crookneck, Marblehead, and Hubbard are de- 
sirable varieties. 

CHAYOTE 

The chayote is a Mexican relative of the squash, and 
is grown throughout the West Indies and the adjoining 
tropical mainland. It is perennial and forms a large 
starchy tuberous root. The vines climb many feet, and 
may bear each year a hundred or more fruits, weighing 
from a few ounces to two pounds. These fruits are pear- 
shaped or rounded, and deeply grooved. Some varieties 
have a few soft spines. The color is white or green. The 




Plate IX. — Twelve Varieties of Chayote (Sechiimi edule). 
One-third Natural Size. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 175 

flesh is firmer than that of the eggplant or squash, and is 
usually cooked or fried, or stewed with sugar. The 
chayote and the eggplant are the two green vegetables that 
are nearly always obtainable in the West Indies. From 
its perennial nature, this plant seems especially suited to 
the tropics, and to those parts of the subtropics where 
frosts are quite or nearly absent. It is one of the Cu- 
curbitacese; the botanical name is Sechium edule. It is 
native to tropical America. The fruit differs from all 
the squash and melon tribes in having but a single seed, 
and this is very large. (See Plate IX.) 

The chayote is indispensable in the tropical vegetable 
garden ; since, once planted, it requires no further care, 
and for several years will bear a heavy crop. It is grown 
for the market in several subtropical countries. Each 
fruit contains but one large seed, and the whole fruit is 
always planted in the soil, on its side and partly covered. 
The fruits may be planted near a trellis or fence, up 
which the vines can climb. They may be set out 10 
or more feet apart. The plants begin to bear in three or 
four months. The young shoots make a good green vege- 
table, and the stems and leaves have been used for fodder. 
The white ivory-looking varieties have the best appearance 
in the market, though the green kinds are most frequently 
grown for domestic use. This vegetable stands shipping 
remarkably well, and is found more or less regularly in the 
New Orleans market. It is usually picked for home con- 
sumption before it is quite ripe. 

In South Florida, where the climatic conditions appear 
to be favorable, the chayote is usually killed by the downy 
mildew before maturing a crop. By giving special atten- 



176 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

tion to protect the roots against freezing, however, fruits 
have been grown even as far north as Georgia. 

Bulletin. 

The Chayote; A Tropical Vegetable, U. S. D. A., Div. of Botany, 
Bulletin 28, 1901. 



CHAPTER XIV 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE FRUITS — SOLA- 
NACEOUS PLANTS 

The plants included in this chapter all belong to the 
Solanacese or potato family. They are tomatoes, egg- 
plants, and capsicums or peppers. All of them are 
warm-country plants, very susceptible to frost or cold. 
The seeds are rather small, and are commonly started in 
pots, flats, or frames. Other plants belonging to the 
Solanacese are all the nicotianas, including tobacco ; also 
belladonna, strawberry tomato or ground cherry, pepino, 
tree tomato, henbane, jimson-weed, petunia. 

TOMATO 

This tropical American plant has been known to us 
for only three hundred years. The large smooth varieties 
have originated within the last forty years. The tomato, 
whose home was, apparently, on the dry west coast of 
South or Central America, suffers in damp weather from 
many fungous enemies. Hence in a moist climate, like 
that of Florida, the use of a spray of bordeaux mixture is 
often a necessity for successful tomato-growing. To pro- 
duce abundant fruits, however, this plant must have a 
n 177 



178 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

fair supply of water. Hence it grows well in a dry climate 
under irrigation. The original tomatoes had small fruits 
and grew upright like the Irish potato, their relative. 
But the larger fruits, which have been produced by selec- 
tion and cultivation, weigh the branches down to the 
ground and necessitate the staking of the plant to keep it 
in an erect position. 

The tomato is to-day one of the most popular of vege- 
tables. It is grown in the open all over the world where the 
summer is long enough to allow the three months or more 
free from frost which it requires for its growth. Where 
the summers are too short and cool, as in England, it is 
grown extensively in greenhouses. It is remarkably well 
fitted for growth in subtropical countries during the spring 
and early summer and late fall. It may be easily grown in 
tropical lands during the cool season, especially with the 
help of occasional irrigation. 

By planting under a slat shed, or at an elevation of a 
few thousand feet, it may be possible to obtain good 
tomatoes in many tropical localities throughout the year. 
This wholesome vegetable is indispensable for the tropical 
garden, and will, with a little care, yield fruit equal to 
that produced in a more temperate climate. It has some- 
times been noticed, however, that the seed saved in hot 
countries, especially from volunteer plants, is degenerate ; 
but this may be the result of careless selection. To avoid 
such degeneration, the tomato has been reproduced in 
the West Indies from year to year by cuttings only. A 
well-drained soil, judicious irrigation, and mulching in 
dry weather, trellising and pruning, will give the best 
results in hot climates. For the tropical garden, the larger 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 179 

fruited varieties, such as Ponderosa, seem to be preferred 
for local use; though when, as in Cuba, tomatoes are 
grown for northern markets, the medium-sized shipping 
varieties have the preference. 

In the United States, more and more attention is given 
to placing this vegetable in the market all the year round. 
The crop of the North is usually cut off by frosts in Sep- 
tember or October, while that of the states farther south, 
such as North and South Carolina, is not usually cut off 
until November or December. During December the crop 
from south Florida is brought forward to the market, and 
the Florida crop continues to be shipped as long as it will 
pay for transportation. Under favorable conditions, by 
the first of May the crop as far north as Georgia begins to 
ripen, and is pushed forward to the market, crowding the 
Florida crop out. 

Tomato seed. 

There are very many seedsmen from whom one can 
obtain tomato seed, but not all of these grow their own 
seed. If the seed of a new variety is offered for sale, and 
it is thought that it will be profitable in a certain section, a 
package of seed and one year's test will greatly help to 
decide the question. When a vegetable-grower has once 
found a well-established variety which gives good success, 
he should not readily discard it for something else that he 
has not tried. Money saved by buying inferior seed is 
lost over and over again in the crop. In selecting seeds- 
men from whom to procure seed, one should first find out 
whether they make tomato-seed-growing a specialty, or 
whether it is merely a secondary matter. Whenever 



180 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

possible, one should procure seed from those who make a 
specialty of tomato-growing. 

Seed-beds. 

In regions where there are slight frosts in winter, the 
seed-beds may be protected by boarding round and cover- 
ing with protecting cloth, so as to make a coldframe. 
This cloth is waterproof and may be rolled up during the 
day. 

The coldframe will be found profitable at any place 
where the coldest part of the winter is about 24° F. If, 
however, there is an occasional winter that gets colder 
than this, one can make preparations for it. The plants 
in the coldframe can be covered with litter or leaves, and 
the protecting cloth rolled over this; should the cold 
continue for several days, there will be no danger in leaving 
the bed in this way. 

In south Florida, where the temperature rarely gets to 
the freezing point during winter, tomatoes may be planted 
in an uncovered seed-bed. There should, however, be 
some protection against the hot sun and against frosty 
nights and even cold winds. A warm location should be 
chosen. If it has not a natural wind-break, one may be 
prepared on the east, north, and west sides, leaving the 
south open. Even when the crop is wanted for late fall 
shipments, seed-beds will be found useful. The seed 
should be sown about f inch deep, about two to the 
inch, in drills about f inch apart, the seed covered care- 
fully, the ground smoothed off, and the soil thoroughly 
moistened. 

In tropical countries the seed-beds can be shaded by 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 181 

cheese-cloth or cotton cloth until the plants are fairly 
large; and in case of ground free from weeds, and 
where the land is fairly moist, the seed may be sown in 
the field, if there is no likelihood of heavy washing from 
rains. 

For commercial growing, the seed is sown thinly and 
the plants left in the seed-bed, with perhaps some thinning, 
until they can be set out in the field. But if it is found to 
pay, the seeds may be sown thickly in part of the cold- 
frame, and picked out when they are an inch or less high. 
In temperate latitudes more transplanting is sometimes 
done, but it has been found by experiment to lessen the 
crop and delay the maturing of the fruits, and also involves 
extra cost. 

Soil for tomatoes. 

For the winter crop, the soil should be a warm sandy 
loam with a gentle slope to the south. While this is not 
always obtainable, it is very desirable to have at least a 
general slope to the south. By careful tests it has been 
proven that soil that has a southern slope may be five or 
six degrees warmer than that which has a northern slope. 
For this reason a clay or marl loam should be avoided, ex- 
cept where the crop is wanted for the late market; in 
such a case a clay or marl soil will be found well adapted. 
Another important point in locating a tomato field is to 
have a good wind-break to the north, east, and west. 
Many cold winds that are not severe enough to freeze 
will be harmful to the plants. In fact, any temperature 
below 45° will be found detrimental to the plants, and 
will be all the more so if accompanied by high winds, as 



182 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

these carry the warmth away from the plants and soil 
rapidly. It is not uncommon to find that the only 
tomato plants which have survived a cold spell are 
those that were sheltered from the wind by a dense ham- 
mock or grove. 

Fertilizer. 

The fertilizer used should contain the following ingre- 
dients : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 
6 per cent ; potash, 7 per cent. Use from 1000 to 2000 
pounds to the acre, depending upon the fertility of the 
soil and the distance apart that the plants are set. If the 
soil is rich in humus or nitrogenous matter, a part of the 
nitrogen should be withheld, as too much of this element 
makes tomatoes soft and liable to have hollow places in 
their interior. 

When the fruit is maturing, an abundance of available 
potash in the soil is desirable to make it firm and solid. 

Pounds to the Acre 
| 275 to 550 nitrate of soda ; or 
1 200 to 400 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid . . 600 to 1200 acid phosphate. 
Potash .... 



900 to 1800 kainit ; or 

140 to 280 muriate of potash ; or 

140 to 280 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

300 to 600 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Preparing the tomato field. 

A sandy loam needs little preparation. In fact, it is 
usually sufficient to plow the land deeply and work down 
with a cutaway harrow. All dead roots, brush, or debris 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 183 

should be removed so as not to interfere with later cul- 
tivation. A one-horse plow may then be used to open 
out a double furrow where the row is to stand, and the 
fertilizer worked in this furrow, a portion of it being 
scattered in the bottom and some of the soil worked on to 
this, then another portion of the fertilizer applied and more 
soil worked into the furrow, and so on until all the 
fertilizer has been used. 

In a sandy soil or a sandy loam, it is preferable to use 
the fertilizer in two or more applications. The first 
application is made before the plants are set and should 
contain a high percentage of ammonia in a quickly avail- 
able form. The second may be made just as the first 
bloom appears and may contain only a small percentage 
of ammonia. If at any time during the growth or fruiting 
period the plants are showing a lack of thrift, an applica- 
tion of 75 or 150 pounds of nitrate of soda or nitrate of 
potash may be made to good advantage. The latter 
will give firmer and better shipping fruit. If the early 
bloom is being cast off, this can frequently be corrected 
by making an application of fifty to a hundred pounds of 
high-grade sulfate of potash. But if the casting of bloom 
is due to cold winds or too much moisture, the fertilizer is 
not likely to correct it. 

Experiments have indicated that where the soil is reten- 
tive, for example stiff clay, nothing is gained, and indeed, 
something is lost by applying the fertilizer at different 
times. If the season is very moist, the ground will be 
ready to receive the plants in a week after fertilizing. If, 
however, the soil remains unusually dry, it may be much 
longer. 



184 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Setting out tomato plants. 

Before the plants are set out in the field, they should be 
hardened off, but this must be done very carefully. It 
is not a good practice to withhold the moisture all at once, 
but it should be done gradually. In this way the plants 
adapt themselves to the conditions and are thus better 
able to stand the shock which they receive at setting out. 
A week before the time the plants are ready to be set out 
in the field, just enough moisture should be applied to keep 
the plants in the seed-bed from becoming wilted. It will 
be found, treating them thus from day to day, that the 
plants will be in a much better condition to be set out 
than they were at the time when hardening off was 
begun. 

The distance at which tomatoes should be set varies 
with the fertility of the field and with the varieties used. 
If one has an ordinary field that produces about thirty 
bushels of corn to the acre, and wishes to use about 1000 
pounds of fertilizer to the acre, it will be well to plant 
in checks, 4 by 4 feet. If, however, the land is very fertile, 
the tomatoes may be planted as close as 3 by 3 feet, 
or the rows may be planted 4 feet apart, and the plants 
set at 2 feet or even less in the row. In hot climates when 
tomato plants are inclined to be short lived, they are 
placed about a foot apart in the row. Many devices for 
transplanting purposes have been invented, but none seems 
to meet the demands fully. Some machines are drawn by 
horse power and others worked by hand. The greatest ob- 
jection against some of these is the cost of the implement. 
Therefore, for various reasons, up to the present time the 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 185 

bulk of the crop is still transplanted by hand, and as this 
is not an especially expensive operation, it will be continued 
for many years. A man or strong boy can set out an 
acre of tomatoes in a day. Consequently, it should not 
cost more than $1 to $2 to set out an acre of tomatoes, in- 
cluding the sets. Various labor-saving devices, or so- 
called short cuts, have been resorted to by tomato-growers. 
One that has been recommended is to plow out a furrow 
with a one-horse plow and drop tomato plants along this 
furrow at proper intervals. The plants are so dropped 
that the heads project to one side of the furrow. The soil 
from a small furrow is then throw upon their roots, care 
being exercised not to cover them too far. The plow is 
then run down the outer side of the row, which will 
set the plants more or less erect. For such an operation 
it will be necessary to have plants that are more or less 
drawn out, and usually considered too large for trans- 
planting. 

A convenient setting-out tray may be made cheaply 
by using an ordinary soap box that is 6 inches deep, 12 or 
14 inches wide, and 10 inches long. One end of this is 
knocked out and a bail fastened from one side to the other. 
The plants may be carried in this to the field, and, as they 
are wanted, taken out of the open end to place in position. 

Cultivating. 

Cultivating tomatoes is simple and not laborious. Most 
of it is performed by a one-horse cultivator. As soon as 
the tomatoes begin to show bloom or set fruit, much care 
should be taken not to disturb the roots, as this is liable 
to shock the plants and cause the bloom to fall. 



186 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Pruning tomato vines. 

Whether it will pay to prune or trellis a commercial crop 
of tomatoes can only be determined by trial. Many 
fungous diseases may be thus kept off or lessened. 

There are two reasons for pruning tomatoes. The first 
is to bring the earliest fruit in earlier than it would ripen 
without pruning. The second is to develop the fruit 
to its fullest extent. The earliest form of pruning was to 
remove all the side shoots, and thus train the plant to 
one main stem, or vine, as it is usually called ; this being 
either tied to a stake or fastened to a trellis. While this 
does much toward producing a good crop, it does little in 
the way of bringing the crop in earlier. From experience, 
it has been proved that the earliest tomatoes can be forced 
to ripen a week or even two weeks earlier by topping than 
those which have not been topped. By topping or cutting 
out the terminal bud just below the second cluster of 
blossoms before the first cluster has begun to open, the 
growing force is thrown into the first cluster. It is not 
at all uncommon, under such treatment, to have this 
cluster produce from five to seven tomatoes, and all of 
these to ripen at nearly the same time. While the crop 
is much smaller than it would have been as a whole if no 
topping had occurred, the early crop comes in so much 
earlier that it more than compensates for the loss in 
quantity. Staked plants are usually topped after they 
have set three or four clusters. 

Pruning should not be carried too far, however, as the 
leaf surface of the plant must be sufficient to assimilate 
the crude material that is absorbed by the roots. If 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 187 

the leaf surface is too small, so much absorbed matter 
will be sent to them that the tissues and cells become 
swollen and unable to perform their functions. It should 
always be kept in mind that one wants to check the growth 
of the stem and further the formation of fruit, but not to 
interfere with the production of leaf surface ; so the mere 
removing of buds and flower-clusters will be the pruning 
desired. The extent to which pruning can be carried will 
depend largely upon the variety, condition of the weather, 
and kind of land. A dwarf variety, during dry weather and 
on poor, dry soil, can be pruned much more severely than a 
large-growing variety, during a rainy season, on fertile 
lands ; in fact, the latter will scarcely permit any pruning. 

Staking tomatoes. 

The usual varieties of tomatoes that are grown for north- 
ern markets have not a strong enough stem to carry the 
weight of the fruit. Consequently they fall over and the 
fruit comes in contact with the soil ; this renders it un- 
sightly and also very accessible to attack from insects 
and fungi. Thus many tomatoes are lost when the vines 
are not staked and tied. Stakes used for this purpose 
are about one-and-one-half inches square and three feet 
long. One of these is driven down by each tomato plant, 
and the plant tied firmly to this. Some soft wrapping 
cord is employed. The cord should be wrapped twice 
around the stake at the proper height and a hard knot 
tied. Then the string is passed around the tomato 
plant and the knot tied so as to hold the plant loosely. 
Staking and tying tomatoes will not be found profitable 
where land is cheap and labor high priced. (See Plate XII.) 



188 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Trellising. 

The trellising of tomatoes is carried on in parts of the 
United States where tomatoes are selling at a low figure, 
and yet it is found profitable to do this work. In preparing 
the trellis, posts are placed in the ground at proper distances 
and two or three wires attached to these, much as in vine- 
yards. The tomatoes are then tied to the wires, or if the 
wires have been placed close enough together, the plants 
are simply trained to them. 

Either staking or trellising should be practiced in the 
South, where a late summer or early fall crop is wanted 
for home use. For a small garden it pays to prune and 
trellis. 

Picking tomatoes. 

The picking season is the busiest of the year for the 
tomato-grower. If his crop is ready to go forward, it 
must be put on the market without delay. The loss of 
twenty-four hours may often work a damage of $100 on a 
single car-load ; consequently everything should be in 
readiness, and all the necessary hands ready to go to work. 
During the cool winter months, the tomatoes must be 
allowed to assume a light color or even a slight tinge of 
red before picking, otherwise they will arrive in the market 
too green. During the warm summer months these 
same tomatoes would have arrived in the market over- 
ripe ; therefore, the tomatoes must be allowed to become 
riper on the vines in cold weather than in the warm 
part of the year. In the warm spring months, it is suffi- 
cient to allow the tomatoes to become full-grown and 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 189 

change slightly from green to whitish ; but it will require 
considerable experience before one is able to pick just at 
the right time. 

The picking is usually done in ordinary market baskets. 
Hands for this purpose must be selected with some degree 
of caution, as only those who can discriminate well and 
who are not rough with the vegetables should be em- 
ployed. At convenient places in the field, boxes are 
placed ; these boxes are about ten inches wide, fourteen 
deep, and thirty long; they hold about two crates. In 
making such boxes it will be found best not to leave any 
cracks open, and to make them of whole boards; this 
lessens the danger of injuring the fruit. Strips are nailed 
across the ends, which serve as handles and at the same 
time give additional strength. It is desirable to make the 
box large enough to hold two crates, as this weight usually 
requires the attention of the person handling it, and there 
will be less danger of carelessness. 

Packing-house. 

It is very desirable to have the tomato packing-house 
located at a depot or railway switch, so that the crated 
vegetables can be loaded directly on the car; this will 
save one handling, and consequently compensate for a con- 
siderable haul. If, however, the packing-house is so far 
from the railroad that the crated fruit must be handled, 
it should then be placed as near the center of the field as 
possible. There are many reasons why a packing-house 
should not be near dwellings. 

The interior of the packing-house should be arranged 
so that the boxes are received from the wagon and set on 



190 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the floor without any high lifting; they should be on a 
level with the sorter's bench. After the tomatoes are 
received, they should be sorted immediately, and the 
different kinds placed in separate . places to be packed. 
The person placed at the sorter's bench must be quick 
at discriminating and active with his hands. Chutes 
can be arranged to carry the fruit to the different tables, 
or it can be made to run into different boxes, which when 
full may be put in place for wrapping. The wrapper's 
bench should not be higher than the boxes that receive 
the fruit from the sorters. After the fruit has been 
packed, it should continue to be carried downward and 
in no case should there be any lifted upward. The packed 
fruit may then be delivered to the other side of the packing- 
house, and carted to the station. 

Sorting tomatoes. 

The successful tomato-growers usually sort their 
tomatoes into various grades, depending largely upon the 
tastes of the growers and the market for which they 
prepare. There are two general grades that are recog- 
nized by all tomato-growers, and they are usually observed 
even by persons who make no pretense of grading their 
tomatoes; these are usually spoken of as "ripes" and 
"greens." These two grades give the grower a chance to 
distribute the fruit to different markets and have them all 
arrive in suitable condition. More advanced tomato- 
growers make, besides these, other divisions, as "large 
ripes," "small ripes," "large greens," and "small greens." 
While it seems like a great deal of work to separate the 
fruit into grades, it is found to be very profitable. The 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 191 

tomatoes are then wrapped in different kinds of paper to 
suit the grower, and packed in carriers. By sorting the 
fruit into various sizes or grades, one will be able better 
to meet the desires of different markets and the different 
desires of the same market. 

Few tomato-growers pay sufficient attention to local or 
near-by markets, so it may happen that tomatoes are 
being shipped to New York at a loss, when near-by towns 
and cities have to depend on northern canned goods. 

The usual tomato crate holds about twenty-four quarts, 
and should be made of first-grade material ; no pains 
should be spared to make the crate and the material in 
the crate look as attractive as possible. The better 
shippers are using colored designs and other tasty means of 
distinguishing their products. 

Summer and fall crop. 

In preparing for the fall tomato crop, a frame should be 
prepared, as for the spring crop. The protecting cloth in 
this case is used for an entirely different purpose, however. 
At this time of the year it is wanted to keep off the sun and 
to keep the rain out, also to ward off such insect pests as 
grasshoppers. 

All the watering had better be done by hand. In setting 
the tomatoes out, care should be taken to provide for them 
a shelter by using slats, or leaves of palms. The construc- 
tion of a slat shade for a field is discussed on page 57. 

Saving tomato seed. 

The seed that is offered on the general market is so ex- 
cellent and so cheap that it scarcely seems worth while to 



192 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

save any ; but one will never have varieties better adapted 
to his own conditions until there is some seed-grower who 
will select tomatoes with special wants in view. The very 
best plants should be selected, not the best individual 
fruits, from the variety that has done well, and these 
allowed to ripen their fruits. These may then be gathered 
and broken into pomace, or may be cut and the seed, 
together with the parts that contain the seed, taken out 
and placed in a barrel to macerate for a day or so. In 
the meantime it should be stirred several times to make the 
rotting as even as possible. To separate the seed from the 
pomace, the directions given under eggplant should be 
followed. 

Canning. 

All tomato-growing districts or communities should 
have one or more canning factories to preserve the 
surplus as well as the fruit that becomes too ripe for 
shipping in the fresh state. The greatest difficulty 
seems to be in having a sufficient amount of labor 
at hand to carry the work on successfully. In tropi- 
cal and subtropical regions many other vegetables as 
well as fruits might be grown especially for canning 
purposes. 

In several places, cooperative canneries have been 
established which are giving returns satisfactory to those 
interested. Such a corporation does business just as if it 
were a private enterprise. The advantage in this plan is 
that many are working for a common cause. The ex- 
pense of erecting a canning factory is by no means the 
most important consideration. An establishment that 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 193 

would cost from $500 to $5000 would be able to do the 
work that would be required of it for a very large tomato- 
growing district. 

The operation of canning is simple, yet it requires an 
expert to do the work well, so that when it is done 
the material will not degenerate in the cans. The prin- 
ciple involved is simply to place the material to be canned 
under a temperature sufficient to kill all living organisms 
contained therein, and in this condition it is sealed. Under 
these circumstances there can be no degenerating, no 
fermenting, and no rotting. 

With a small home outfit, costing $10, 300 two-pound 
cans may be put up each day. This affords a good method 
of disposing of surplus tomatoes. 

Enemies of the tomato in Florida. 

Damping-off may occur in the seed-beds, the seedlings 
being cut off near the ground. It does not usually happen 
unless the plants are too close together and too damp. 
Spraying the soil with ammoniacal copper carbonate is 
advantageous. 

Root-knot often starts from the young plants in the 
seed-beds. It may be combated by careful choice of 
seed-beds, by sowing the seeds in the open field, and by 
rotation. 

Cutworms, which attack the young plants, are best 
destroyed by poisoned bait. 

Rust begins as brown spots, which spread over the leaves. 
It can be prevented by spraying the plants in the seed-bed 
with bordeaux mixture; and when found in the field, 
several sprayings will save the crop. 



194 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Fungus blight attacks the plant from the soil. The 
leaves turn yellow and die from below upwards. Rotation 
is the only remedy. 

Sclerotium blight also lives in the soil, and the first 
symptom is the wilting of the top of the plant. This 
disease may be prevented by spraying around the stem 
with ammoniacal copper carbonate. 

Bacterial blight spreads from an infected leaf and soon 
kills the plant. Infected plants should be immediately 
destroyed. 

White mold is due to an invisible mite and can be 
promptly cured by spraying with sulfur or one of the sulfur 
solutions. 

The tomato fruit-worm may be controlled by destroying 
all wormy tomatoes ; especially by destroying those that 
appear during the time when the earliest tomatoes are 
being picked. 

Varieties of tomatoes. 

The varieties which are the most grown for the market 
in the southern states and the West Indies are Earliana, 
Beauty, Stone, Perfection, and Acme. Perfection, Match- 
less, Favorite, and Quarter Century have given good 
results in tests. Success has been grown for the late 
summer crop. Ponderosa is one of the best of the large- 
fruited kinds, but is better suited for private gardens than 
for the market. Some markets prefer red, some pink 
varieties. The yellow-fruited sorts are not of much 
value. For canning, a medium large red tomato, that 
colors well right through, is preferred, if it is smooth and 
solid. 




Plate X. — Eggplants and Peppers. 



Top, eggplant plantation ; center left, white eggplant ; center right egg- 
plant ready for transplanting to the field ; bottom, peppers in field. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 195 



Literature 



Livingston and the Tomato, Columbus, Ohio, 1893, pp. 172. 
Tomato Culture (in Cuba), Bulletin 4, Estacion central agronomica 

de Cuba, 1905. 
Tomatoes, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 220, 1905. 
Tomato Diseases, Fla. Bulletin 91, 1907. 
Tomato Culture, by W. W. Tracy, New York, 1907, pp. 150. 

EGGPLANT 

The eggplant has been cultivated by the natives of 
India for thousands of years. It is now one of the com- 
monest of green vegetables in almost all tropical countries, 
especially in the East Indies. 

This vegetable is a money crop for the southern United 
States ; although it can be grown in gardens of the North, 
it does not flourish so well there since the seasons are short. 
The greatest obstacle in the way of success for this crop 
is that gardeners rarely supply sufficient fertilizer to the 
soil. A successful grower in Florida began by raising ten 
acres, but did not make a profit on the crop ; he then re- 
duced his acreage to five, and used the same amount of 
fertilizer that he put on the ten acres. Later, he again 
cut down the acreage to two and one-half acres, but kept 
the amount of fertilizer at the original figure, and also 
bestowed as much attention on the two-and-one-half as he 
did formerly on the ten acres. The two-and-one-half acres 
then gave him more fruit of better quality and better size, 
than the original ten acres, and at the same time the field 
became more profitable. This instance illustrates what 
has been insisted upon before, that one should resort to 
intensive, rather than extensive, vegetable-growing. 



196 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Hotbeds and coldframes for eggplants. 

For early fruit, and the northern parts of the subtropics, 
it will be necessary to use a hotbed and later a coldframe. 
A hotbed properly prepared will save these plants through 
frosts of 14° F. Of course such extreme cold is by no means 
healthful to the plants, but they may be saved from de- 
struction. For eggplant seedlings, the manure is placed 
in the hotbed about a foot thick, and banked up on the 
outside of the frame to the rim. Two sheets of protecting 
cloth are used, with some space between them ; the outer 
edges are covered to keep the wind from getting under 
them. During cold weather, the plants will make very 
little progress, however, but the gentle bottom heat causes 
them to make a good root system. 

As soon as all danger from further frosts is past, the 
seedlings may be thinned out ; and if any empty places 
occur, these may be filled in from places where the plants 
are too thick in the row. The plants should have about 
an inch space in the row, and the rows should be about 
3 inches apart. As soon as the plants begin to crowd one 
another, they should be transplanted to another frame; 
this time each plant should be given about 2 inches in the 
row, the rows being 4 inches apart. Inexperienced persons 
are somewhat timid in removing eggplant seedlings, or 
transplanting them, because they fear they will be injured 
in the operation ; but experience has taught that they 
may be removed, or re-set, when small, without any dis- 
advantage to the plant. The time to sow the seed 
depends upon the time when the last killing frost occurs 
in the section. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 197 

The seed may be sown in coldframes in warm sections, 
but the plants will not come along so rapidly as they would 
in a hotbed. They will, however, mature much earlier 
than the northern-grown product, and consequently be 
marketable when the prices are still very good. The same 
precaution as for hotbeds should be observed for cold- 
frames. In regions where killing frosts are not likely to 
occur, the seed-beds should be established about the first 
of August to have the vegetable about the first of January. 
The treatment of a seed-bed is similar to that of a cold- 
frame. The young plants need some screening to protect 
them from the direct rays of the summer sun. A slat 
screen or a covering of cheese-cloth fixed about a foot above 
the surface of the bed will be found sufficient. 

Using floiuer-pots. 

Eggplant seedlings are somewhat sensitive about having 
their roots disturbed, consequently some gardeners have 
used several sizes of flower-pots to prevent this injury. 
For this operation they secure paper ones of various sizes, 
beginning usually with two-and-one-half inch. These 
cost about $2.50 a thousand. The pots are filled about 
four-fifths full of potting soil, to which has been added a 
liberal supply of fertilizer. Six or eight seeds are dropped 
into each, and the pots are then placed in the hotbed or the 
coldframe. Some growers plunge the pots into the soil, 
while others do not ; the former way requires less atten- 
tion, but destroys the pots in one year. The seedlings 
grow in these pots just as though they were in the hotbed, 
but from time to time the gardener should examine the 
plants to see that they do not become pot-bound, or do not 



198 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

send their roots through the bottom of the pot. As soon 
as either of these occurs, the plants are shifted to a larger- 
sized pot, which is usually a 3-inch one. The increased 
space is filled up with soil similar to that formerly used, 
and the pots are then placed where the other size stood ; 
of course they require more room. As soon as the fer- 
tilizer in the 3-inch pots has been fairly well appropriated 
by the plants, they are transferred to a larger size, say 
4-inch; some prefer 6-inch pots. The treatment in 
these pots is similar to that given in the first. It should 
have been mentioned, however, that before shifting the 
plants from the smallest pots to the larger, the smaller 
plants should be pinched off, leaving one plant in the pot. 
Under proper manipulation, plants may grow to bearing 
size in 6-inch pots, but this is not profitable. Plants 
should not be removed to the field until the soil is warm 
and all danger of cold spells is past, as the seedliugs are 
very sensitive. (See middle figure, Plate X.) 

In using flower-pots for propagating eggplants, care 
must be taken that at no time do the plants become 
checked in their growth, as this will materially reduce 
their productive powers. There are two points always to 
be borne in mind : first, that fresh fertilizer is applied as 
soon as the earlier supply has been used ; second, plants 
should not become pot-bound. Under proper manipu- 
lation plants may be grown from seed in 3-inch pots, 
from which marketable fruit can be obtained in sixty days 
after setting out. In tropical countries, sections of bam- 
boo, and the so-called "bamboo flower-pots," are used. 
The seed is sown in them, the seedlings thinned to one in 
each, and the pots split when setting out. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 199 

Soil and 'preparation. 

Eggplant requires good rich loam that is very deep. It 
is a deep feeder, consequently it cannot stand moist or 
soggy land. The plowing should be deep and thorough. 
Any refuse material or decaying vegetable matter should 
be removed from the field. 

The field should be laid off in rows 3 to 4 feet apart, and 
the plants set from 2 to 4 feet apart in the row, depending 
upon the variety and the fertility of the soil. In setting 
plants in the field, they should be placed an inch or so 
below the level at which they stood in the hotbed or cold- 
frame. 

Fertilizer for eggplants. 

The fertilizer should be made up of the following in- 
gredients : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available phosphoric 
acid, 5 per cent ; potash, 9 per cent. Use 1500 to 2500 
pounds to the acre of this formula. This plant is very 
sensitive to improper use of fertilizer, shedding its fruit 
or failing to set it at all if improperly fertilized or set in 
badly prepared soil. Consequently, there are many cases 
of failure, and it is very difficult to tell what is the matter 
with the plant, as the symptoms of many ailments are so 
similar that they cannot be distinguished. A successful 
way of applying the fertilizer is to make a double furrow 
where the row is to be. A portion of the fertilizer should 
be applied down the row and a part of the soil that has 
been thrown out mixed in ; then more of the fertilizer 
applied and more soil worked in. This should be con- 
tinued until the fertilizer has been deposited evenly 



200 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

throughout the entire furrow. If the plants are to be ?et 
in checks 4 by 4 feet, it will be sufficient to fertilize the 
ground for about a foot on each side of the plant. In 
sandy soils or sandy loams, a portion of the fertilizer may 
be withheld until the first fruits are about an inch diameter. 
The earlier application may have more ammonia than the 
formula calls for. One half of it should be in a quickly 
available form. The later application should about follow 
the above formula. In case the plants show a lack of vigor, 
much good can be done by making a separate application 
of nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash at the rate of about 
a hundred pounds to the acre. 

The following table of fertilizers will give the desired 
amounts of each element for an acre : 



Ammonia 



1000 to 1600 cottonseed meal ; or 
600 to 1000 dried blood ; or 
400 to 650 nitrate of soda ; or 
325 to 525 sulfate of ammonia. 



Phosphoric acid . 750 to 1200 acid phosphate. 



Potash 



1600 to 2000 kainit ; or 
275 to 450 muriate of potash ; or 
275 to 450 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 
500 to 800 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Cultivation of eggplants. 

The field cultivation of eggplants is very simple. The 
soil should be well stirred. The cultivation should not 
be carried to the extent of tearing the roots, however. 
Those who are not acquainted with the root system of 
this plant will find it profitable to dig into the soil fre- 
quently and find out how near the top and how far the 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 201 

roots extend. During rainy weather, it will be necessary 
to cultivate the field deeply as often as twice a week. 
This cannot, of course, be done when the field is on strong 
clay soil. During dry weather, merely stirring the upper 
stratum to the depth of three or four inches every week or 
ten days will be sufficient. 

Gathering eggplants. 

It is very important to be able to tell just when the fruit 
is ready for market. While the early crop brings the best 
price usually, the fruit is liable to be too small and green 
for the market. Fruit that is too ripe is worthless. As 
soon as the berry turns from a lustrous purple to a dull 
color, you may suspect that the shipping stage has arrived. 
The best way is to test a few eggs by cutting through the 
center ; if the seeds are well formed, the time for gathering 
has arrived. They should, however, not be allowed to 
remain on the plant until the seed-coat begins to harden. 
In case of Black Pekin or Improved New York Purple, 
the fruits are about seven inches long. The fruit should 
be cut with a stem about |- inch long. 

Marketing. 

Eggplant is usually marketed in barrel-crates and for 
distant markets each fruit is wrapped in heavy paper. 

Seed saving. 

Eggplants that bear exceptional crops of good fruit may 
be set aside for choice seed. Considerable time elapses 
between the marketing time and the ripening of the seed. 
Usually the fruits intended for seed may be left on the 



202 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

plants until they are fully ripe, but this is not necessary, 
as the seed can be gathered and saved for planting as 
soon as the fruit becomes tough and fibrous. The fruits 
are gathered as for shipping, and taken to the packing- 
house. Here they may be left for several days, or for a 
week if the pile is not too large. When a considerable lot 
is on hand, a time may be set aside for taking the seed out. 
By examining the fruit it will be noticed that about one- 
third of the meat may be cut away from the stem without 
harming the seeds. After paring this away, the central 
part is quartered with a dull knife and sliced thinly. This 
material is put in a barrel for maceration in water, not 
having the barrel more than two-thirds full. The barrel 
should be set out of the hot sun, but kept in some warm 
place. In twenty-four hours it should be stirred up 
thoroughly, so as to have all parts mixed evenly. The 
pomace may be left to ferment for two or three days, 
depending upon the temperature in the meantime. A 
number 3 sieve that will go conveniently into the inside 
of the barrel should be secured. A half-barrel is filled 
with water and the sieve placed in the water, but not on 
the bottom of the half-barrel. The sieve may be held in 
place by wires stretched across the half-barrel. The 
seeds are dipped out of the barrel and put into the sieve, 
working the pomace around so as to break it into small 
pieces. Some of the pomace and the seed will go through 
the sieve and fall to the bottom, while the larger pieces 
will be taken out and thrown away, then a fresh lot will 
be taken from the barrel and the work continued as before 
until three or four inches of the material have collected 
in the bottom of the barrel. This may be turned out into 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 203 

a barrel and a sieve of number 6 mesh used for the second 
preparation. The meshes of this sieve are just large 
enough to let all the seed pass through and screen out all 
the pomace that is left. As soon as all the seed has been 
worked through the second sieve, it may be placed on a 
third sieve with number 12 wire mesh. This sieve per- 
mits all fine pomace to get through and screens out all 
seed. As soon as a large quantity has collected in the sieve 
it may be put aside for an hour or so to drain, then spread 
out on canvas, or other suitable place to dry; but this 
should not be done in the hot sun, as the high temperature 
is liable to injure its vitality. The seed should be dried 
as quickly as possible, as there is danger of its beginning 
to sprout. If the fruit has been allowed to decay or the 
pomace allowed to remain in the barrel too long, there 
is danger of the seed germinating during this time. When 
the seed has been thoroughly dried, it should be winnowed 
or run through a fanning mill to get rid of the chaff. 
The seed is tied up in suitable packages and placed where 
they are safe from attacks of mice and roaches. It is 
preferable to tie the seed in parchment paper or paraffin 
paper to keep it from getting moist. In this way seed 
may be kept for two or three years without losing its 
vitality. 

In a moist tropical climate the well-dried seeds may be 
preserved in bottles or tins sealed with paraffin, and kept 
dry inside by a lump of good quicklime wrapped in paper. 

Varieties of eggplants. 

The early varieties are not usually so productive as 
later ones. The New York Improved Spineless will 



204 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

mature several weeks later than the Black Pekin, but 
the latter is much more productive. The New York 
Purple and Black Pekin are excellent varieties for shipping 
or for home use, but the New York Spineless and Early 
Long Purple mature earlier. (See Plate X.) 

The New Orleans Market is a variety which has long 
been grown in Louisiana and gives good results in the 
hotter parts of the United States. The Florida Highbush 
is an excellent variety as it carries the fruit free from the 
soil, — an important consideration in a moist climate. 
The white eggplant has not become a favorite with the 
market, but for home use it is excellent, as its flavor is 
superior to that of the colored varieties. 

PEPPER 

The "pepper" grown in vegetable gardens is the fruit 
of species of Capsicum ; they are sometimes called 
"chillies," particularly the small, very pungent kinds. 
The fruits are also known as "red peppers" and "Cayenne 
peppers," to distinguish them from the true pepper (of 
the genus Piper) from which the black and white table 
pepper of commerce is made. 

The red peppers were among the vegetables found by 
Columbus in the New World four hundred years ago. 
They are now cultivated in most tropical and subtropical 
countries. They grow well in the warmest parts of the 
earth. Within the tropics the hot peppers especially are 
used as seasoning, while the large sweet peppers are pre- 
ferred as vegetables in temperate lands. The sweet 
peppers are sometimes canned. The hot peppers are used 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 205 

in the manufacture of chile con came, paprika, curry 
powder, tabasco sauce, and cayenne pepper ; and may be 
readily preserved by drying in the sun. 

There is an increasing demand for peppers during the 
winter months in the United States. While shipments of 
large size cannot be disposed of very well, the demand in 
small lots is often above the supply. Much of the product 
for the northern and eastern markets has come in the past 
from Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Peppers are 
being more grown now in the southernmost states. 

Hotbeds and coldframes for peppers. 

For the regions in which freezing weather occurs, it will 
be necessary to provide hotbeds to grow peppers, but where 
frosts do not occur, or only occasionally, coldframes will 
be sufficient. If located in a clay country the soil should be 
composed of about one-fourth clay, one-half vegetable 
mold, and one-fourth coarse sand, to which is added the 
necessary fertilizer. The soil of the hotbed may be tested 
by wetting it down thoroughly; if, after two or three 
hours, the soil can be squeezed into a more or less solid 
mass, there is not enough sand and too much clay in the 
mixture. If, however, the mass does not remain in a body 
but breaks up readily, the soil will be about right. On 
the other hand, if the water drains off immediately, and 
the soil becomes dry to the depth of one-half inch in the 
course of four or five hours, in the sunshine or a gentle 
wind, too much sand has been used and a little more clay 
should be introduced. 

The rows should be made about 3 inches apart, and the 
seeds dropped about three to the inch, and covered to the 



206 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

depth of about f inch. Before the seedlings begin to be 
spindling, they should be transferred to another bed, 
this time planting the seedlings 3 by 3 inches. 

A successful and convenient way is to make use of 21- 
inch, 3-inch, and 4-inch flower-pots in respective order. 
When these flower-pots are used, the soil should be the 
same as in hotbeds without flower-pots. 

The seed should be sown from forty to sixty days before 
the average time of the last frost. The rapidity with which 
the seedlings come along will depend upon the amount of 
sunshine and warm weather, and also upon the attention 
of the gardener ; consequently a statement as to the time 
required for the seedlings to grow to planting-out size 
cannot be made more definitely. In frostless countries 
the seeds are sown thinly in shaded seed-beds, and the 
seedlings thinned out before setting out. Or they may 
be sown like eggplants, in bamboo pots. About eight 
weeks should be allowed from the time of sowing to the 
time of setting out. 

Soil and preparation for the pepper. 

A warm sandy loam that retains moisture in the subsoil 
will be found excellent. In preparing land for peppers, 
care should be taken to remove all decaying matter and 
rubbish from the field. The rows are laid off 2 or 
2\ feet apart and the plants set from 1 to 1^ feet distant 
in the row. The variation in the distances in which 
they are planted should depend on the conditions of the 
land and the varieties which are being fruited. The 
larger or sweet kinds require more room than the small 
hot ones. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 207 



Fertilizer for peppers. 

Ammonia, 5 per cent, available phosphoric acid, 5 per 
cent, and potash, 9 per cent, should be used as a fertilizer, 
applying 750 to 1250 pounds to the acre. The same pre- 
cautions should be used in applying the material as directed 
for eggplant. 

Cultivation of peppers. 

Cultivation should be carried on thoroughly and deeply, 
but never to the extent of injuring or destroying the 
roots of the plants. This must be ascertained by observa- 
tion. An easy and satisfactory way is to remove the soil 
from beside a thrifty plant and follow the roots to the ends. 
Before the plants have reached their bearing size, it is well 
to discontinue the deep cultivation, but to continue the 
cultivation of the upper stratum of the soil, until the ship- 
ping season is over. When the plants are no longer 
wanted, they should be destroyed at once ; especially 
should this be done if another crop of peppers is to be 
grown on the same land the following year. (See Plate X.) 

Marketing. 

As soon as the large varieties have reached two inches 
in diameter, they are usually considered ready for market- 
ing, but one must be guided by experience in the matter. 
The earliest shipments are usually the most remunerative. 

It is not usually necessary to wait for the fruit to be- 
come slightly wilted before packing, but sometimes this 
may be done to advantage. The fruit is packed in the 



208 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

usual vegetable crate, with the top pressed down firmly, to 
prevent the peppers from shaking about. 

Saving seed. 

Experiments have shown that selected home-grown 
pepper seed may be better in the South than that grown 
farther north, hence after the shipping season is over, 
it may be an advantage to save one's own seed, or to sell 
it to neighbors. The matter of saving seed is simple and 
easy. The fruit is allowed to become ripe, then picked, 
allowed to dry, and the seed removed. It will be neces- 
sary to protect this from mice, rats, or other vermin. 
Under ordinary circumstances the seeds will retain their 
vitality for a number of years. 

Varieties of peppers. 

Among the large sweet varieties are the large Bell, or 
Bull Nose, and the County Fair. The first-named and 
those that grow similarly are to be preferred for shipping 
purposes. The County Fair has several advantages, 
however, for home use and the local market. Among 
the hot varieties is the Small Chili. The Celestial is 
also excellent, besides being highly remunerative. If 
one desires to raise hot varieties for market, Small Chili 
Tabasco, and Bird's eye may be tried. 






Plate XI. — Cucumber Hampers; and a Plant of Roselle (Vic- 
tor Variety). 



CHAPTER XV 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE FRUITS — OTHER 

CROPS 

There remain other edible-fruited vegetables, that do 
not classify with those in the two preceding chapters, 
nor do they classify with themselves. For convenience, 
they may be placed together here. Some of them, as 
the plantain, papaya, and bread-fruit, are usually classed 
as fruits rather than as vegetables, but many readers will 
expect to find them here. 

ROSELLE 

The roselle, or Jamaica sorrel (Hibiscus Sabdariffa), is 
a tropical plant producing its fruit in the cool season and 
then perishing. As it will stand drought, it may be 
cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics during 
the hot and rainy seasons. It is killed by a slight frost, 
and can be grown with profit only where there are no 
frosts during its time of fruiting, which, in Florida, is 
usually between November and December. 

In regions like Florida, where neither the red currant 
nor the cranberry grow, the roselle offers a palatable sub- 
stitute for the acid jellies or jams made from these two 
fruits. Its products are regarded, by those who have 
p 209 



210 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

employed them, as nearly or quite equal to the currant 
or cranberry preserves of more northern regions. It is 
not an unusual occurrence for visitors in Florida to mistake 
roselle fruits, when prepared for the table, for cranberries. 
This plant has long been grown for similar purposes in 
India, Egypt, and other hot eastern countries. 

Propagation. 

The roselle is regularly propagated by seeds, but it can 
be readily grown from cuttings. To secure the best re- 
sults, the seed should be carefully selected from the earliest 
ripening bolls, growing on the most prolific plants. As a 
whole, the plants are rather more vigorous than need be ; 
consequently, no attention need be paid in the direction of 
vigor. 

The seed should be sown in a hard seed-bed, such as is 
prepared for eggplants, tomatoes, or peppers. The 
month of April is found to be the most favorable for the 
larger part of Florida. The seeds are sown in drills about 
6 inches apart, dropping enough seed so that the plants 
may be thinned out to an inch apart in the drill. The 
thinning out should be done as soon as the plants begin 
crowding one another. By the first of July they will be 
large enough to set out in the field. At this time abundant 
rains may be expected, and thus one avoids the necessity 
of having to water the plants, excepting at the time of 
setting out. 

If the seed is sown early in the year, the plants grow 
much more vigorously and produce a larger stalk than 
with late sowing. It is a question, however, whether 
the increase in size of stalk produces an increase 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 211 

in the quantity of roselle that is produced in the field 
as a whole. 

Cultivation of roselle. 

A sandy loam suits roselle best. The fields are pre- 
pared just as in the case of eggplants, tomatoes, or peppers. 
The rows are laid off about 4 feet apart. The fertilizer 
should be spread down the row, having the field in 
thorough tilth and cultivation before setting out the 
plants. 

No definite experiments have been made to show the 
exact fertilizer needs of this crop. Heavy crops have been 
produced by the use of ordinary vegetable fertilizers. 
It is quite probable, therefore, that the formula ordinarily 
used for vegetables will be found approximately correct. 
The amount used to the acre should be about one-half 
or one-fourth of what is ordinarily used. If the quantity 
ordinarily used for vegetables be applied, the plants grow 
exceedingly rank and are apt to shed many of the early 
bolls. 

The plants are set 18 inches or 2 feet apart in the row. 
The cultivation is carried on just as for garden or other 
vegetable crops. By plowing the field frequently and 
close to the plants, all necessity for hoeing is avoided. If, 
however, the field happens to be unusually foul, it may be 
necessary to hoe between the plants. As soon as the 
plants have reached a size of eighteen inches or two feet 
in height, the abundant leafage will shade the ground 
so completely that no more hoeing will be needed. Four 
or five plowings in ordinary good vegetable land will be 
found sufficient cultivation. 



212 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Gathering. 

The fruits should be gathered before any woody matter 
forms in the pods, or in the calyxes. This can usually be 
determined by breaking them open by hand. If any 
woody fibers have formed, a certain amount of stringiness 
will be observed. The bolls with stringy fibres running 
through them have matured too far. 

Crops that are grown under good cultural conditions may 
be picked without the use of a knife. The bolls will be 
tender, crisp, and plump, and by taking hold of the boll 
with the fingers and thumb and giving it a sharp kink 
just below, the stalk will break. This characteristic 
may also be used as an index of the ripeness. If the bolls 
fail to break off readily, they have matured too far. 
It will be found that they break off more readily in the 
morning than towards night. 

Skipping roselle. 

For shipping purposes, the bolls should be gathered 
just as for home. use. Care should be taken to keep them 
free from leaves and other trashy material that may 
get mixed in. By handling the bolls carefully, they may 
be dropped as picked into a container, such as an eight to 
ten-quart pail. For shipping purposes, the six-carrier 
tomato crate has been used. Before putting the bolls 
in, paper wraps are placed in the carrier so as to prevent 
the bolls from coming in contact with it, and also to give 
a wide enough lap to cover them completely after the 
carrier has been filled. This protects them from injury 
by rubbing against the wood in transit, and also from 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 213 

spilling out of the carrier. Each carrier should be filled 
so as to require only a slight pressure on the lid of the 
box at the time of nailing up. In this way roselle was 
shipped from Florida to Washington. After reaching its 
destination it was found to be in excellent condition for 
making retail sales in that city. Roselle, when carefully 
packed, may be sent by express from Florida to any point 
east of the Mississippi river. 

Productivity. 

At one of the trials in California, three pounds of fruit 
of roselle are said to have been produced by each plant. 
It has been stated that a quarter of a bushel to a plant can 
well be counted on in south Florida. The yield in Porto 
Rico was estimated at four pounds of fruit to a plant, 
and at double this amount in good sandy loam. Sixteen 
pounds to a plant have been gathered in south Florida. 

Uses of roselle. 

The part used as a fruit consists of the red, juicy, swollen 
calyx and involucel. This may contain about 87 per cent 
of water, nearly 3 per cent of acids, and only 1 per cent 
or less of sugars. The acids are said to consist of malic 
and tartaric, with no citric. A cooling summer drink 
is made from an infusion of the fruits of the roselle, its 
natural bright-red color giving it an attractive appearance. 
This drink is bottled in the West Indies. It keeps well if 
no sugar is added, and if the bottles are sterilized by heat, 
and sealed while hot. The abundant acid, the bright 
cherry-red color, together with a plentiful supply of 
pectins, render this plant a good jelly-maker. Roselle 



214 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

jelly is nearly or quite as good as red currant or cranberry 
jellies. The fruits are at their best soon after the flower 
has fallen. It is preferable to remove the capsules when 
making roselle sauce, jam, or marmalade. For jelly, only 
three-fourths of a pound of sugar is needed to a pint of the 
juice got by cooking and straining the fruits. To make 
roselle jam or marmalade, the calyxes are cooked in 
strong sirup. 

The fruits of this hibiscus may be used for making jelly, 
even after the seed has ripened in the capsules. The 
fruits may also be dried without losing their acidity or 
their capacity for jelly-making. The young, tender 
shoots may be used for greens and for jelly-making. 

Diseases. 

The roselle plants in Florida are usually attacked late 
in the year by a mildew which destroys the leaves. Dry 
sulfur dusted over the plants has been found a good pre- 
ventive. 

Varieties of roselle. 

In India and the West Indies a yellowish variety, 
without the bright red of the calyx, is sometimes met 
with. This yields a greenish-yellow jelly, or marmalade ; 
but it does not seem desirable. In south Florida there has 
arisen a variety of roselle, Victor, that produces much 
larger bolls than that usually grown. The plants are 
smaller and more prolific than the common kind. (See 
Plate XL) 

Bulletin. 

Roselle; its Culture & Uses, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 307. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 215 



OKRA 

This tropical annual or biennial (also called gumbo) 
is cultivated in most tropical and subtropical countries, 
where it often furnishes a welcome green vegetable when 
no other can be obtained. Like the roselle, to which it is 
related, it stands drought well, and hence suits the native 
or negro inhabitants of the tropics, who prefer vegetables 
which give them no trouble to raise. Its desirable qualities 
lie in the mucilaginous pods. The taste for this vegetable 
is more or less an acquired one, however ; when used in 
small quantities in soups, only a few persons object to it. 
Besides its use in soup, it may be pickled, and also cooked 
as a dish by itself. 

Any good agricultural land will produce okra. Like 
cotton, it is partial to a warm sandy loam. To produce 
okra for shipping purposes, a warm sandy loam should be 
chosen, and highly fertilized, unless it is already rich. 
When grown on poor soil, okra is stringy and wanting in 
mucilage. The land should be prepared thoroughly and 
deeply. The roots of this plant descend below any 
ordinary plowing, so that it can stand an unusual drought 
without apparently suffering. 

The rows should be made 2\ or 3 feet apart, and a seed 
dropped about every 3 inches. The seed is planted an inch 
deep. When the plants are about 6 inches high, they 
should be thinned to a foot in the row for dwarf varieties, 
and to about 1^ feet for the half dwarf varieties. If the 
large varieties are planted, the rows may be made 4 feet 
apart and the plants thinned out to 2 feet in the row. 

The cultivation should be deep and thorough. The 



216 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

plants are so strong that there is rarely any occasion for the 
use of a hoe, since the work may be done with a plow. 

In gathering okra for a distant market, the stems are 
cut close to the pod. Okra is shipped in an ordinary vege- 
table crate, and packed down firmly, so that the product 
will not shake about on the way. There is little demand 
for this vegetable in the markets of the Northwest, so it 
must be shipped to some neighboring market or to the East. 

The seed is easily saved. When the pods are ripe, they 
should be removed from the plant. They will break 
easily, and the seed comes out readily. 

The taller-growing varieties of okra are not so profitable 
nor so desirable as the smaller or dwarf. Little Gem and 
White Velvet are among the favorite dwarf varieties. Im- 
proved Green is a good medium-sized variety. 

Bulletin. 

Okra : Its Culture & Uses, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 232. 

PLANTAIN 

Plantains are those varieties of banana that are not 
suited for eating raw, but require to be cooked. It is 
difficult to tell the difference between the many varieties 
of plantain and banana before the fruit appears. The 
common plantain has fewer and larger fruits, more loosely 
set in the bunch, and more three-angled than the common 
bananas. It is an important tropical vegetable. Boiled 
or baked green plantains, or fried ripe plantains, are com- 
mon table vegetables throughout the West and East 
Indies. 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 217 

It is decidedly worth growing in all tropical (and some 
subtropical) gardens, and with proper care in choosing the 
suckers to be allowed to fruit, a supply may be procured 
from a small field throughout the year. It is propagated 
exclusively by suckers, which are produced in abundance. 
A length of about two feet is usually best for the sucker, 
which is cut off from the parent plant beneath the soil. 
Some of the leaves may be removed, and the suckers 
planted out, 15 feet or more apart. The soil should con- 
tain much humus. In the trade-wind belts, a wind-break 
of dense trees, such as mangoes, on the east of the plan- 
tains, is of use. Irrigation during dry weather is very 
beneficial. In the absence of irrigation, the beginning 
of the rainy season is the best time to set out suckers. 
They will produce their first bunch in a year or less, and 
then there will be almost continuous fruiting from new 
suckers. Some of these should be cut out, and by doing 
this with proper judgment, bunches of plantains may be 
obtained in quantity at almost any desired season of the 
year. The field will not need replanting for several years, 
but will require manuring. 

The plantain can doubtless be grown to advantage in 
regions where the winter temperature, as a rule, does not 
go below 32° F., but if cut down by frost every year, it 
will hardly pay to grow it, though some fruit might be ob- 
tained. 

PAPAYA 

The papaya, or melon papaw, is a cultivated plant of 
the American tropics, which has been spread throughout 
the tropical belt. Almost wherever it is grown, the young 



218 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

green fruits are cooked as a vegetable, and much resemble 
summer squashes. Since the tree sets a larger amount of 
fruit than it can properly carry to maturity, this removal 
of many young fruits allows those which remain to in- 
crease greatly in size. The unripe papayas thus furnish 
an agreeable vegetable when properly cooked and seasoned, 
and one which can be procured at almost any time of the 
year ; whereas squashes cannot be raised in the hot season, 
and are not much grown even in the cool season between 
the tropics. The fruits are peeled and cut into pieces, 
after the removal of the seeds. They are usually soaked 
for some hours in cold water to extract the rather acrid 
latex, and then boiled until soft. If they are cooked with 
tough meat of any kind, they soften it remarkably. Since 
the meat in tropical countries must, in the absence of an 
ice-house, be eaten the same day that it is killed, this 
digestive property of the papaya is of decided value. 
The green fruits cooked with sugar make excellent pre- 
serves. 

Papayas are grown only from seeds, of which each fruit 
produces a large number. The seeds germinate easily 
and rapidly. The plants should be set out when they are 
about 6 inches high, in a well-drained soil, at distances 
of 10 feet or more. 

The tree may be grafted by inarching, and cuttings may 
be rooted, but these processes are slow and require so 
much attention that neither has come into practice. 
Budding may also be successfully employed. For this 
purpose a plant two feet or more tall should be selected, 
the top cut off in the tender portion, split as for cleft 
grafting ; and a wedge-shaped bud two to four inches long 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 219 

inserted. This should be tied firmly and in a week to 
ten days a union will have been made. The bud may 
be shielded against sun and rain until the union is made. 

Papayas are benefited by irrigation during the dry 
season. About half the trees will bear staminate or 
barren flowers only, and nearly all such trees (which may 
be recognized by the long thin sprays of tubular flowers), 
should be cut out as soon as noted. The fruiting plants 
are distinguished by bearing their flowers mostly in clusters 
of three. One or two staminate trees to the plantation 
will insure sufficient pollination of the flowers on the pistil- 
late trees. The papaya very seldom branches at all. 
It may bear sixty or more large fruits each year. When 
grown for the ripe fruit, the long-fruited or the cantaloupe- 
shaped varieties are much better than the common oval 
form. The first fruits usually appear in less than a year, 
and the tree will continue bearing for several years. 
The papaya will only endure a very light frost. Hence it is 
adapted only to countries where freezing weather rarely 
occurs, though it can be grown farther north if protected 
during the winter. The potent digestive properties of its 
ripe fruit render its best varieties important members of 
tropical or subtropical gardens. The digestible ferment 
(papain) is destroyed by heating to the boiling point, 
and hence would not be present in cooked fruit. 

A space 8 by 8 feet is usually sufficient for a thrifty 
plant. The older ones usually become less productive; 
it is therefore advisable to start with fresh plants every 
three or four years. The small seedlings transplant with 
more or less difficulty, but after the stem has become 
woody and about an inch in diameter, no difficulty is 



220 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

experienced in transplanting during the rainy season. 
The seed from the best fruits only should be sown. These 
may be sown in rows several feet apart and several inches 
apart in the row. 

BREAD-FRUIT 

The seedless variety of this tree of the Pacific Islands 
would seem to provide a vegetable which, in all but one 
particular, fulfills the ideal of the ordinary tropical native ; 
that is, to have a food plant which only requires the two 
operations of planting and gathering. Unfortunately, 
however, for the inactive basker in the sun, the bread-fruit 
yields its crop only in the late summer and early fall, and 
its fruits cannot readily be kept through the remainder 
of the year, although in some islands they are sliced and 
dried over the fire to be stored like biscuits. 

The value of the bread-fruit has been over-rated. No 
wonder that when the adventurous English captain first 
came to Hawaii he should admire a vegetable which kept 
alive a swarming native population, and afforded him 
and his seamen an agreeable change from the wormy ship- 
biscuit of those old times! Although the bread-fruit 
might keep savage tribes from starvation, yet when 
it was introduced into the West Indies, and extensively 
propagated there, it was not found to be as digestible and 
nourishing as food which, like yams, cassava, or sweet 
potatoes, requires more labor to raise. Nevertheless 
the bread-fruit on the very numerous trees in the Lesser 
Antilles appears to be appreciated by the negroes, for it 
is difficult to find one fruit left to ripen out of the abun- 
dant crops produced each year. Sliced boiled bread-fruit 



Vegetables with Edible Fruits 221 

appears as a vegetable at times on the tables of Europeans 
in the tropics, but it does not seem to be particularly in 
favor. Its taste is rather agreeable, and it is either baked 
whole, or cut up and boiled or fried. 

The bread-fruit is usually picked while still green. It 
is about the size of a muskmelon, but solid throughout, 
without seeds, and with a slight core in the middle. It is 
increased by planting large root-suckers. Like the coco- 
nut, it is a strictly tropical plant, and seems to flourish 
best near the sea. It does not seem worth planting, except 
as a curiosity, where potatoes and fresh bread can be 
secured easily. 



CHAPTER XVI 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE SEEDS 

The edible-seeded vegetables include mainly legumi- 
nous plants, such as peas and beans. Of all ordinary 
vegetables, these supply the most concentrated form of 
food, especially of protein food. 



PEA 

Garden or English peas are generally cultivated in the 
warmer regions for winter and early spring market. They 
form a staple crop, which requires little attention, and so 
is a favorite with many vegetable-growers. This crop will 
stand a light frost and grow even in very cold weather. 
A temperature of 24° F. will injure open flowers and pods, 
but will not hurt the vines unless in an actively growing 
state. 

Peas may be grown in the cool season between the tropics 
outside the equatorial belt. They usually require a fair 
supply of nitrogenous manure, such as nitrate of soda or 
nitrate of potash, since the nitrogen-gathering bacteria 
peculiar to the pea plant are not usually present in such 
soils. It would be advisable in many localities to use a 
slat shed. In India acclimated seed is preferred for the 
hotter regions. 

222 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 223 

Soil and cultivation. 

A light warm soil is very desirable for winter crops of 
peas. The land should be well prepared, though not 
deeply, about the last of October or in November; and 
the fertilizer scattered along the row and mixed with the 
soil. If one uses a seed-drill, a row should be made up of 
three or four drills about 2 or more inches apart. This 
will give the plants a chance to hold to and support one 
another. The ordinary practice is to make a row about 6 
inches wide, by scattering the seeds along a furrow, and 
covering about an inch deep. The rows may be 20 
inches or more apart. 

Cultivation is needed to get air into the soil and to con- 
serve the moisture. During cultivation the soil should 
be gradually worked up to the row so as to leave the 
plants hilled up at the last. 

Fertilizer for peas. 

The best fertilizer formula for peas is : ammonia, f per 
cent ; available phosphoric acid, 7 per cent ; potash, 7 per 
cent. Use 600 to 1000 pounds to the acre. 

For this crop it will be found desirable to use mineral 
fertilizer rather than compost. If nitrate of soda is used, 
it will require two applications — one at the time of sowing, 
and the second just as the first flower-buds begin to show. 
Cottonseed meal can be used as a source of nitrogen 
before planting, as a part of a compost fertilizer. Nitrate 
of soda will cause the vines to make a vigorous growth, so 
it should not be applied when a frost is looked for. 

The following amounts of fertilizing materials may be 



224 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



used to obtain the amounts of each of the fertilizer ele- 
ments called for in the formula : 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



Pounds to the Acre 

300 to 500 cottonseed meal ; or 
180 to 300 dried blood ; or 
120 to 200 nitrate of soda; or 
100 to 150 sulfate of ammonia. 

420 to 700 acid phosphate. 

f 500 to 900 of kainit ; or 

80 to 140 muriate of potash ; or 

90 to 150 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 

. 160 to 240 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Enemies. 

The pea weevil which attacks the young peas in the 
pod can be killed in the dry seed by the use of carbon 
bisulfide. 

The powdery mildew, which spreads over late pea vines, 
can be checked entirely by bordeaux mixture, and probably 
by the use of sulfur. 

Varieties of peas. 

The garden peas may be divided into those with round 
seed, with wrinkled seed, and with edible pods. Those 
with wrinkled seed are better, but they are not so hardy as 
the round-seeded varieties. The sugar peas with edible 
pods are worth growing in the garden. 

For shipping purposes, the dwarf varieties should be 
chosen. American Wonder and Blue Beauty do well. 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 225 

McNeil is a local variety grown extensively in Florida. 
The large number of varieties offered for sale often leads 
to confusion, but those named above may be regarded as 
trustworthy. 

For home use, it is often desirable to sow the tall-growing 
varieties ; these are later but usually more prolific. Tele- 
phone, Marrowfat, and Champion of England have been 
recommended. The land is prepared in the same way as 
for the dwarf varieties. If it becomes necessary to plant 
peas in a body — that is, to plant more than two rows 
alongside of one another — alternate rows should be 
farther apart, so as to have them by twos. When the 
peas have reached a height of 10 to 14 inches, it 
will be time to stake them. The two near rows should 
be staked so that they will mat together, leaving an 
abundance of space to pass between the alternate rows. 
As nearly all the peas will form on the outside or towards 
the light, the picking will be easy. 

BEAN 

The common snap or green shell beans are also known as 
kidney or haricot beans. There are over 180 distinct 
varieties in the United States. These beans grow well in 
spring or fall in subtropical climates and can be grown 
during the cool season in tropical lands, especially if shaded 
(as by a slat shed) . They are not quite so tolerant of heat 
as the lima bean. 

Seedsmen divide beans into two classes — the bush 
beans and the pole beans. These classes require different 
treatment. 



226 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



1. BUSH BEANS 

Bush beans are the kind used for shipping purposes, as 
string-beans, snap-beans, or snaps. In some sections of 
the South the growing of snap-beans is a lucrative class 
of gardening. All beans are tender and sensitive to cold, 
even when it is not severe enough to freeze. Some 
peculiarly protected situations on the east coast of Florida 
are so favorably located for growing this crop for early 
spring markets that the lands bring an annual rental of 
$20 to $100 an acre and are valued correspondingly high, 
while only a score of miles distant equally good land not 
protected from the frosts is not worth possessing. Only 
those parts of the South that are free from frosts and long 
cold spells can grow beans for midwinter market ; in other 
parts, late fall and early spring crops pay well. 

Soil for bush beans. 

For the early winter crop a light sandy soil is most 
valuable, while for a fall crop a heavier soil may be used to 
advantage. The land should be prepared moderately 
deep, and need not be in a high state of tilth. Any de- 
caying vegetable matter that happens to be on the field 
may be left there. 

Fertilizer. 

The proportion of fertilizer ingredients should be as 
follows : ammonia, 3| per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 
7 per cent; potash, 7 per cent. On poor land, 1000 to 
1500 pounds of the above formula should be used to the 
acre. If the land is rich in vegetable matter, the ammonia 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 227 

may be omitted. While beans are able to assimilate at- 
mospheric nitrogen when they have grown to a certain 
size, they are not able to grow well, especially when young, 
in a soil devoid of this element. It is, therefore, frequently 
necessary to supply an additional amount of nitrogen in 
the form of nitrate of soda, which is quickly available. 
This is frequently done at as late a period as when the 
plants are in bloom. 

To obtain the amounts of different fertilizer elements 
called for in the above formula, the following materials 
may be used : PoUND8 TO raE AcBE 



Ammonia 



' 300 to 400 dried blood ; or 

200 to 300 nitrate of soda ; or 

500 to 750 cottonseed meal ; or 

150 to 200 sulfate ammonia. 



Phosphoric acid . . 700 to 1000 acid phosphate. 



Potash 



900 to 1200kainit; or 
150 to 200 muriate of potash ; or 
150 to 200 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 
. 300 to 450 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Planting and cultivating bush beans. 

When the crop is intended for snaps, the rows should 
be made 2\ feet apart, and the beans scattered thickly 
in the row, at least 10 seeds to the foot, making the row 
about 6 inches broad. The row should be made as straight 
as possible as this will save much labor in cultivating. 

In sections where artesian wells may be employed to 
irrigate, the rows should be run on contours. When 
such contour lines have been established, they will serve 
as guides by which the irrigating system is laid out. A 



228 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

very simple and effective method has been employed 
with good success by some vegetable-growers in south 
Florida. The field, after the contour lines have been 
located, is thrown up in beds wide enough to hold but two 
rows. These beds are made by using a large two-horse 
plow and throwing up a head-land for every two rows of 
the crop to be planted. This leaves a double open furrow 
for every two rows. When the water is turned into such 
an open furrow, it moistens the land thoroughly. Such 
work requires a large amount of water, and is not practi- 
cable where the supply is limited. Under such a plan, 
the two rows on a bed are made only 18 or 20 inches apart, 
while the distance between those on separate beds is 
correspondingly greater. 

v In regions where frosts may be expected, a second 
sowing may be made two weeks after the first. The rows 
of the second sowing should be made as near as possible 
alongside of the rows of the first sowing. If a frost occurs, 
the first sowing will protect the plants of the second sowing. 
If no frost occurs, the second sowing may be destroyed by 
using a cultivator when it begins to injure the first sowing. 
All cultivating in a bean field should be shallow, unless 
the crop is planted in a heavy soil ; but it should be fre- 
quent, especially in rainy weather (this of course does not 
refer to clay soil). As soon as the bloom appears abun- 
dantly, it is time to stop cultivating, at least near the 
plants. 

Preparing bush beans for market. 

Snaps are picked any time during the day when the dew 
is off and they are not wet from rain. They should be 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 229 

picked as soon as the beans in the pod are about half grown, 
or before the pods begin to harden. 

They are taken to the packing house and allowed to 
stand exposed to the air for an hour or so to lose their 
brittleness. The packing is simple. The pile is worked 
over more or less closely and all culls removed, at the 
same time they are straightened more or less and placed in 
special bean crates. The crates are pressed down just 
enough to keep the product from shaking about. 

In warm climates the product often suffers severe loss 
from anthracnose, which causes peculiar red sunken spots 
on the pods. This disease often destroys entire shipments 
in transit. It can be prevented by spraying the picked 
pods while in the packing house with potassium sulfide 
or with sulfur spray. The snaps must be thoroughly 
dried before placing in the crate. 

Harvesting bush beans. 

If the crop is to ripen, it will be found more convenient 
to plant in hills; but these should be proportionately 
farther apart in the row. As soon as nearly all the pods 
are ripe, the plants may be cut off with a scythe or 
a grass-mower. The gathering is usually best accom- 
plished by collecting the vines on forks and placing 
them in small piles at convenient distances. When 
thoroughly dry, they are stacked, and later threshed 
either by machine or by hand. The hand-threshed beans 
usually contain fewer broken ones, and hence sell for 
a higher price. Often the pods are picked as they 
ripen, but this process is too expensive for any but beans 
saved for seed. 



230 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Varieties of bush beans. 

W. W. Tracy, after a thorough study of all the varieties, 
gives the following list of desirable kinds : 

Green Snaps : — Earliest : Warwick, Bountiful, Taylor's 
Green Pod, Ne Plus Ultra, Grenell's Stringless Green Pod. 

Market : — Hudson Green Pod, Late Refugee, Black 
Valentine, Extra Early, Refugee, Giant Stringless Green 
Pod, Red Valentine. 

Home : — Giant Stringless Green Pod, Red Valentine, 
Late Refugee, Warren Bush. 

Yellow Snaps : — Earliest : Challenge Black Wax, 
Valentine Wax, Golden Wax, Improved Golden Wax, 
Currie's Rust-proof Wax. 

Market : — Hudson Wax, Kenney's Rustless Golden 
Wax, Golden Wax, Davis Wax, Refugee Wax, Bismarck 
Black Wax. 

Home : — Maule's nameless Wax of 1906, Pencil Pod 
Black Wax, Kenney's Rustless Golden Wax, Refugee 
Wax, Burpee's Kidney Wax. 

Kidney Green Shell : — Improved Goddard, Ruby 
Horticultural Bush, Tennessee Green Pod. 

The green-podded varieties are more popular among 
gardeners because of a general belief that they are hardier 
than the yellow-podded ones. There is less danger of 
getting poor varieties in beans than in many other vege- 
tables. 

2. POLE BEANS 

The pole beans requires a richer soil than the bush 
beans, and are rarely used for shipping purposes. These 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 231 

beans are desirable for family use, but are somewhat 
later in maturing than the dwarf beans, so that both kinds 
should be planted for home use. 

The early preparation of the soil is the same as for the 
low-growing forms. The land should be laid off 4 by 4 or 6 
by 6 feet, the checks thoroughly fertilized, and after the 
fertilizer is well incorporated, the seed planted. From 
one to four beans should be planted to the hill, varying the 
number of plants to suit the strength of the land. Such 
ordinary care as is given garden crops will be sufficient. As 
soon as the vines begin to run, they should be staked. It 
is best to set the stakes so the tops of four will come 
together, and tie them ; in this way, they will support 
one another. When staking them in this way, the space 
between the rows arched together must be cultivated by 
hand, but the vines will soon shade the ground, thus pre- 
venting further growth of weeds. When poles are not 
procurable, two wires may be set, 5 feet apart, along 
each row and twine run between. 

Varieties of pole beans. 

W. W. Tracy enumerates the following desirable va- 
rieties for home use : 

Green Snaps : — Black Kentucky Wonder, Burger's 
Stringless, Kentucky Wonder, Lazy Wife Pole. 

Yellow Snaps : — Golden Carmine, Podded Horticul- 
tural, Golden Cluster Wax, Indian Chief. 

Green Shell : — Lazy Wife, Child's Horticultural, Lon- 
don Horticultural, Golden Carmine, Podded Horticul- 
tural. 



232 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

3. LIMA BEANS 

The large-seeded varieties of the lima or butter bean 
provide, in the opinion of many, one of the choicest of 
vegetables. Shelled from the green pod, or when ripe and 
dry, these beans are alike acceptable if cooked for two 
hours or so. Lima beans are grown in many tropical 
countries and the best varieties should be in every tropical 
garden where the conditions allow of their thriving. They 
usually grow well in the dry or cool season or at an eleva- 
tion of 1000 feet or more. 

Culture. 

The culture of the limas is the same as for the snap 
beans, except that they are more sensitive to cold, and 
require some weeks longer to mature. 

Varieties of lima beans. 

Some of the best varieties of lima beans are as follows : 
Carolina or small-seeded : — Wood's Prolific Bush, 
Wood's Improved Pole. 

Large-seeded : — Wonder Bush, Dreer's Bush, Hender- 
son's Ideal (pole), Leviathan (pole), Challenger (pole). 

4. RUNNER BEANS 

Runner beans grow well in many tropical climates at 
the proper season. Their large pods are sliced and 
cooked green, or the seeds used as green shell beans. 
For the latter purpose, they are somewhat inferior to the 
lima beans. They are chiefly grown in California. 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 233 



Varieties. 



Some of the best varieties of the runner bean are : 
Aroostook Bush (called Lima), Scarlet Runner Pole, 
White Dutch Runner Pole. Other varieties may be 
obtained from European seedsmen. 

Enemies of beans in general. 

The bean weevil injures the green pods and also the 
stored seed. It may be destroyed in the latter by treat- 
ment with carbon bisulfide. 

Cutworms often destroy seedling beans and are best 
kept under by the use of poisoned bait. 

Anthracnose appears as brown sunken blotches on the 
leaves and pods. It can be checked by spraying the seed- 
lings with bordeaux mixture and by rotation. It is 
infectious and is frequently carried by the seed. 

Sclerotium blight, which produces wilting and death, 
may be prevented by spraying the soil around the stems 
with ammoniacal copper carbonate. 

Bacterial blight occurs as brown watery patches, which 
dry up. It spreads quickly. All diseased plants should 
be destroyed and rotation practiced. Downy mildew of 
lima beans pods may be checked by bordeaux mixture. 

Bulletins. 

Beans, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 289. 

American Varieties of Garden Beans, U. S. Bureau of Plant Indus- 
try, Bulletin 109, September, 1907. 

American Varieties of Beans, N. Y. Agr. Expt. Station, Bulletin 260, 
November, 1908. 



234 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



BROAD BEAN 

The broad bean (Vicia Faba) does not belong to the same 
genus as the other common beans, and is very different 
in appearance. It is much grown in Europe in the spring 
and summer. Its large flat seeds, an inch or so across, 
when young and tender, are almost as good as English peas, 
and are prepared in the same way. In subtropical 
countries, this bean may be grown in the winter season, as, 
unlike the lima bean, it will stand some degree of frost. 
It will not endure much heat, and the summer of most of 
the United States is too hot for it, though it is raised in 
Canada. It has been grown in India and in Louisiana, 
during the cool season, but does not produce a crop of good 
quality in the hotter parts. In England the seeds of the 
broad bean are often planted in double rows, consisting of 
two lines 9 inches apart, the rows being 2 to 3 feet asunder. 
The seeds are set about 2 inches deep. The plants are 
upright and the varieties vary from fourteen inches to 
five feet in height. The pods are picked when the seeds 
have attained their full size but are still very tender. 
They are in considerable demand in the countries where 
they are grown, both for the soups and as cooked vegetables. 
The Long-pod varieties are the most productive, while 
the Windsor group are the best for eating. Seeds of the 
broad bean can readily be obtained from some American 
and most European seedsmen. In dry weather it is 
sometimes advisable to soak the seeds for twelve hours 
before sowing. On the whole, the broad bean seems a 
promising winter vegetable for the subtropical regions of 
the western hemisphere. 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 235 

COWPEA 

Cowpeas, often called field peas in the southern United 
States, besides being used as a soil-improver in a rotation, 
and as a valuable hay crop, are grown in the South, 
especially in Louisiana and Florida, for use as shell peas, as 
snaps, or for the dry peas which are cooked like beans. 
After conducting experiments on their digestibility, C. E. 
Wait said : " The cowpea has a distinctive and pleasing 
flavor, and can be prepared for the table in a great many 
appetizing ways, and compares favorably with other 
legumes in respect to both nutritive value and digestibility. 
Its wholesomeness and possible place in the diet are at- 
tested by its long and general use in the Southern States." 
The Lady cowpea was found to be somewhat more 
digestible than kidney beans, 83 per cent of the protein, 
and 95 per cent of the carbohydrates being digested. The 
varieties most used for table purposes are Sugar Crowder 
(an early pea), Blackeye, Lady (a small white pea), and 
Wonderful (a late variety). Bush Conch is a Florida 
table pea. These varieties can be obtained from seeds- 
men in Louisiana or Florida. For the sandy regions of the 
coastal plain, the Iron or the Brabham should be planted. 
Cowpeas will grow well in the hot season in subtropical 
countries, and as they stand heat better than the English 
pea or even than many kinds of beans, they can be grown 
in the tradewind belts. Cowpeas should be planted in 
drills 2 to 3 feet apart, with 6 inches or so between the 
plants. They may be fertilized and cultivated like beans. 

Bulletin. 

Cowpeas, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 318, 1908. 



236 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



PEANUT 

The peanut is becoming one of the staple products of 
nearly all subtropical regions. The trade with the United 
States amounts to millions of dollars annually. The small- 
podded kinds are grown in most warm countries. The 
kernels are regarded as valuable food for man and the lower 
animals, and as forming a more nearly complete food than 
any other single crop raised. The oil has been much 
used instead of olive oil, and is nearly colorless, with a 
slight odor that is not unpleasant, and a taste resembling 
that of olive oil. It is used in soap-making, and can 
also be employed for lubricating and for burning. One 
bushel of unhulled peanuts yields about a gallon of oil. 
The residue, after expressing the oil, makes a good 
oil-cake for stock, and also a good fertilizer; but it 
is too valuable to use for the latter purpose. Pigs fatten 
rapidly when turned into a peanut field, and peanut 
hay or straw is a useful stock feed. Besides this, mil- 
lions of pounds are converted into confections or eaten as 
"nuts." 

Soil and preparation. 

Peanuts require a light-colored sandy soil, well drained 
but not dry. Loamy soils containing clay and lime pro- 
duce heavier nuts and greater yields than more sandy 
soils. A warm location is preferred. The preparation of 
the field is similar to that for the usual field crops, except 
that it should be more thorough. Deep plowing is essen- 
tial in localities where drought is likely to occur during 
the growing season. 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 



237 



Fertilizer. 

Peanuts require the following proportions of fertilizer 
ingredients: ammonia, 3| per cent; available phosphoric 
acid, 5 per cent; potash, 10 per cent. Use 600 to 1000 
pounds of the above formula to an acre. Most of our 
land will not require nitrogenous fertilizer for this crop. 
Dressings of lime are very beneficial, especially on sour 
soils. The following table gives the amounts of different 
fertilizer materials that may be used to supply the desired 
amounts of each element : 

Pounds to the Acre 
300 to 500 cottonseed meal ; or 
180 to 300 dried blood ; or 
120 to 200 nitrate of soda ; or 
100 to 150 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid . 
Potash .... 



300 to 500 acid phosphate. 

800 to 1200 kainit ; or 
120 to 200 muriate of potash ; or 
125 to 210 high-grade sulfate of potash; or 
. 250 to 400 low-grade sulfate of potash. 

Planting peanuts. 

Before planting the best kinds, the pods are shelled, 
by breaking between the thumb and fingers, care being 
taken not to injure the kernels. After the seed has been 
shelled, it must be stored in small lots to keep it from heat- 
ing, but must not become too dry. When many acres are 
to be planted by one person, it becomes quite a task and 
also a risk to keep the seed after it is prepared, if a planter 
is not used. While the seed is being hulled it is at the 
same time selected, all the poorly formed and bad kernels 



238 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

or pods being thrown out. It will pay to have a breeding 
plot, and select seed from the best plants, as with corn 
and Sea Island cotton. Two bushels in the pod will give 
seed enough to plant an acre. 

In Virginia and the Carolinas, it is necessary to be careful 
about the time of planting; if a cold spell follows the 
planting, the seed is liable to fail ; if the planter waits until 
the possibility of cold weather is past, the greater part 
of the crop is likely to be frozen in the fall. The expense of 
replanting in those states is a doubtful investment. In 
the lower South there is no disadvantage in waiting until 
the weather and soil are warm enough to ensure speedy 
germination. The seeds should be tested, however, 
before they are committed to the ground. This can be 
done easily in a coldframe, or in a large shallow box 
which can be protected from the cold. 

The rows are made about 3 feet apart, and the seeds 
planted 1 or 2 feet apart in the row. When the land is in a 
good state of cultivation, it is not difficult to lay off the 
rows and then make dots in which to drop the seeds. On 
clay soils the row must be raised slightly above the general 
level, so that the seeds will be about on the level of the 
land. The seeds should be planted about an inch deep; 
if the soil is sandy or light, it will be better to plant deeper. 
Peanuts, however, are usually planted with a one-horse 
planter, similar to a cotton planter, and costing about $15. 
In about two weeks after planting, the field may be ex- 
amined and any missing hills replanted. The time of 
planting depends on the weather, but is usually between 
the middle of April and the middle of May or even later 
near the tropics. 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 239 

Cultivation of peanuts. 

The field is put into thorough tilth before planting, and 
is kept in good tilth so as not to give the weeds a chance 
to get the crop under. A week or ten days after the 
field has been planted, it should be cultivated. It does 
not matter what kind of implement is used, so long as 
the surface is kept mellow, and weeds not allowed to 
grow. In some sections it is better to plant the field in 
checks. One thing should be kept in mind constantly, 
that weeds are very difficult to clear out after the vines have 
begun to bush. In general, level or flat culture will be 
found better in light sandy soil. Under this form of 
cultivation, the soil does not dry out as much as with hill 
culture. A second cultivation is given within ten days 
or two weeks after the first, the interval being gauged 
more by the necessity of the case than by the time elapsed. 
After the second cultivation, the hoe and the fingers may 
have to be used considerably ; the hills have begun to 
spread so that it is difficult to cultivate up to the plants. 
Care must be taken not to disturb them as they are pre- 
paring to produce flower-buds, and any interference is 
liable to be detrimental to the yield. All grass and 
weeds coming up in the hill have to be pulled out by 
hand. The third and fourth cultivations have to be 
carried on with still greater care than the second ; the 
weedings need more care also, on account of the crop 
setting at that time. After this, shallow cultivation may 
be kept up until the vines meet across the row. If the 
land is quite level, the cultivation should be carried on so 
that when the plants are "laid by," the rows will stand on 



240 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

slight mounds, the trough between which will carry off the 
water during a rainy season and keep the crop dry. After 
a field is well established there is little danger from drought. 

Harvesting peanuts. 

About two months after the last plowing, the earlier 
nuts begin to ripen. In a dry season, the vines may be 
left in the field until the greater part of the crop is ripe, 
if there is little danger from frost ; but in Virginia the crop 
has to be harvested before the first frost, as the nuts and 
vines are severely damaged by it. During a rainy autumn 
it is necessary to watch the crop, and harvest it before 
the earlier ripened nuts begin to sprout. 

For removing the vines, a plow with a long sweep is 
often used. This share or blade passes along on each side 
of the row under the nuts and cuts off the roots. This 
implement may be likened to a stirring plow with the mold- 
board removed. The share is regulated to such a depth as 
to work as near the surface as possible without cutting 
any of the nuts. A machine potato-digger will do the 
work well, and special peanut diggers are also used which 
dig, clean, and bunch the vines. 

When the plow is used, laborers follow it and raise the 
vines with a pitchfork, at the same time shaking off all 
the dirt. Two rows of vines are tossed together into a 
windrow. These are allowed to dry for a few hours and 
then stacked. A pole about seven feet long is put into 
the ground firmly and the vines piled around this. Before 
stacking, some sticks of wood are laid down around the 
pole to keep the vines off the ground. The stacks are 
made as narrow as possible, to give them a good chance 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 241 

to dry out. In about two or three weeks from the time 
of stacking, the crop will be ready to be picked. This is 
usually done by women or children, and is paid for by 
the bushel. The picking is an expensive operation, and 
it may be delayed ; but if the hay is wanted, it is best not 
to leave this out any longer than necessary. It is also well 
to have the nuts where they cannot be destroyed by 
insects and other animals, and when one has room in the 
barn it will be found cheaper to dry the crop and then 
house it at once. The smaller kinds of peanuts fill the 
shell more completely, and so can be more readily picked 
by machine. There has been some objection raised by 
the retail dealers to buying the nuts that have been picked 
by machine, but this will soon disappear when more perfect 
separators are used, and when the nuts become so cheap 
that they cannot be picked by hand. 

After the nuts have been picked they should be cleaned. 
This is done in cleaning and grading factories. The 
process throws out all "pops and snaps," and also removes 
the dirt and sand. It would pay to have one of these clean- 
ing and grading factories in every neighborhood where 
many of the large-podded peanuts are grown, so as to be 
able to put the product on the market in the best shape 
possible. As soon as the crop is cleaned, it should be 
sacked in bags holding about 100 pounds or four bushels. 
It can be stored in this way, and put on the market at any 
time. 

The usual yield is from thirty to fifty bushels an acre, 
but many crops are greater than this, some as high as a 
hundred bushels. Besides the nuts, from one to two tons 
of excellent hay may usually be obtained. 



242 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

After the crop has been removed, hogs should be 
pastured on the field to feed on the nuts that were not 
gathered. 

Varieties of peanuts. 

Virginia Bunch and Virginia Runner are large-podded 
varieties. Dixie Giant has a larger pod, and is grown on 
the Gulf Coast. Spanish and Tennessee Red are mostly 
grown for stock feed. 

Literature. 

Peanut, Cyclopedia of Amer. Agriculture, Vol. II, pp. 514-519, 1907. 
Peanut, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 431. 

GOOBER 

The goober looks like a large one-seeded peanut. In 
some parts of our country the name goober is applied to 
the peanut. Botanically, the peanut is Arachis hypogma, 
while the goober is Voandzeia subterranea. The cultiva- 
tion and general manipulation are the same as for the 
peanut. The crop has not been grown extensively. 

Either the peanut or the goober makes a good soiling 
plant, and one that is worth careful attention from this 
standpoint, as well as from that of an economic crop. 

SWEET CORN 

The varieties of sweet corn grown for cooking when 
nearly ripe have the starch in the grain more or less re- 
placed by sugar, and the grains in consequence wrinkle 
when dried. It might be called wrinkled corn, just as 



Vegetables with Edible Seeds 243 

the sweet kinds of English pea are called wrinkled peas. 
Sweet corn is not grown in the southern United States to 
such a large extent as in some parts of the North. It has 
been found that properly cured and selected home-grown 
seed is superior to that from more northern states. Sweet 
corn should be planted earlier than field corn so that it 
will blossom first, or it should be grown in an isolated 
place where it will not be liable to mix with the field corn. 
Pollen from field corn makes every grain of sweet corn it 
fertilizes starchy, and so injures the quality of the ears. 

The varieties Crosby, Black Mexican, Hickox, Country 
Gentlemen, Stowell's Evergreen, and Late Mammoth 
have been recommended for a succession in Louisiana. In 
north Florida, Black Mexican was found to do well, and 
this would probably be one of the best sugar corns for 
tropical countries. There are several points requiring 
attention in the growing of sweet corn for seed. If there is 
any field corn tasseling at the same time within even a 
quarter of a mile, the pollen from this will often cause 
mixing in the ear. But these mixed ears can readily be 
detected, and thrown out altogether, or the blended 
grains only removed. As sweet corn usually ripens in the 
rainy season, the ears will require drying under cover in 
thin layers, or with the help of a fan. Fire heat has not 
proved satisfactory. Early Adams and Extra Early 
Adams are often grown as garden corn ; but they are not 
sugar corns, and so will spoil any sweet corn which blossoms 
at the same time. 



CHAPTER XVII 

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE TUBERS OR 
ROOTS 

Several of the root crops, such as the potato, the 
sweet potato, and cassava, are important food crops. 
Others, as the radish and carrot, form agreeable adjuncts 
to the staple foods. Their food value is mostly due to 
starch, or, in the case of the sweet potato and beet, to 
sugar also. 

IRISH POTATO 

The potato, or as it is often called the Irish potato, was 
cultivated by the ancient inhabitants of South America 
on the tropical mountains of Peru and Colombia. It 
seems to have still some of the characteristics of a tropical 
mountain plant in its poor endurance of frost, drought, 
or heat. In subtropical countries where frosts occur, 
the potato is grown only in the spring and fall. In frost- 
less regions it may be cultivated in the cool season, but 
in several tropical countries it will only grow well at 
elevations of some thousands of feet. 

To raise Irish potatoes profitably in the South, it will 
be well to watch the crop in the potato-growing sections 
of the North. If the yield of the late crop has been good, 
the demand for new potatoes will be small and the market 

244 





Plate XII. — Potatoes and Tomatoes. 
Irish potato field above ; below, tomatoes properly staked. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 245 

easily stocked ; but if the yield of the late crop has been 
poor, there will be a steady demand for all the potatoes 
which can be raised. 

The large yields that one reads about are produced by 
persons who have served their apprenticeship at this kind 
of gardening. One should not expect to raise a heavy 
crop until he is well acquainted with the fields to be used, 
and familiar with many kinds of potatoes. Over the 
greater portion of the South it is necessary to use in- 
secticides and fungicides to raise the largest crop. 

Soil and preparation for potatoes. 

Potatoes can stand heavier land than the usual vege- 
tables, but the soil must be fertile and deep. A bay head 
or muckland that has been drained and freed of sourness 
will be found exceedingly well adapted to this crop. A 
cold, stiff, clayey soil usually fails to give a profitable 
return. If the land is not naturally moist, water will have 
to be supplied ; it is useless to try to raise this crop on 
dry land, but it will stand a long drought if the sub- 
stratum is not dry. Heavy soggy land will not produce 
a good crop until it is drained. On this point we can do no 
better than to quote Dr. Lawes, of the Rothamsted Experi- 
ment Station, England : " If you want to grow large crops 
of potatoes, you must be liberal in your supply of water as 
well as food. The following will give you some idea of the 
importance of rainfall, even when the potatoes have an 
abundance of food. We grow potatoes continually upon 
the same land, using the same manures. The potash and 
phosphate are in excess of the requirements of the largest 
crop grown, so they are an accumulation in the soil. The 



246 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

nitrogen is also largely in excess of what the crop takes up, 
but this does not accumulate. Rainfall in inches : 

May to October, 1881, 13| in., yield 482 bu. per acre. 
May to October, 1882, 12^ in., yield 397 bu. per acre. 
May to October, 1883, 13 in., yield 401 bu. per acre. 
May to October, 1884, 9 in., yield 222 bu. per acre. 

In 1881 the rainfall was better distributed over the sea- 
son than in 1883." 

In preparing the land, all debris and rubbish should be 
removed. The plowing should be deep and thorough, 
so there will be no difficulty for the plants to find moisture. 
Thorough plowing will partly compensate for a lack of 
fertilizer. 

If the field is to be irrigated (and this should be done 
where it is possible), it may be thrown up in beds wide 
enough to hold from two to ten rows. The trenches 
between the rows are to guide the water. During a very 
wet season, these trenches of about nine inches in depth 
are excellent for drainage, as they keep the water from 
standing on the land. By this method the plants are fed 
from the bottom, and keep sending their roots downward 
to the stratum of moisture. Plate XII shows deep furrow 
in left foreground. 

Fertilizer for potatoes. 

The following fertilizer ingredients should be used : 
ammonia, 5 per cent; available phosphoric acid, 6 per 
cent ; potash, 9 per cent. Use from 800 to 1200 pounds 
of the above formula. When potatoes sell for a high price 
and the land is near market, it will be found profitable 
to use as much as 2000 pounds. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 247 

Chlorides are regarded as detrimental to the quality of 
the potatoes. On sand lands and sandy loams, organic 
ammonias are usually employed. 

The following quantities of fertilizers will give the de- 
sired amounts of the elements : 

Pounds to the Acre 

500 to 800 cottonseed meal ; or 
350 to 500 dried blood ; or 
200 to 300 nitrate of soda ; or 
150 to 250 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid . . . 500 to 700 acid phosphate. 

Potash I ^®® *° ^®® nitrate of potash ; ' or 

1 150 to 225 sulfate of potash, high-grade. 

The roots of the potatoes do not penetrate the soil as 
deeply as those of some other crops, so the fertilizer 
should be in the furrow or in the hill. In whatever way 
the fertilizer be applied, no effort should be spared to have 
it well mixed with the soil. 

Seed potatoes. 

Several series of careful experiments have been under- 
taken, which appear to show that the use of small tubers 
for planting decreases the yield. On the whole the evi- 
dence is against the use of small tubers for propagation, 
and these are also more likely to be immature. Medium- 
sized tubers will give satisfactory yields. 

1 When nitrate of potash is used, only one-third of the amount 
of materials used for nitrogen need be employed. By referring 
to the table of approximate amounts of different fertilizers, it will 
be seen that the nitrate of potash contains 13 to 14 per cent of 
nitrogen. 



248 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

With regard to home-grown seed potatoes, the difficulty 
is chiefly with properly ripening and storing the tubers. 
If this can be done, it has been claimed that the fall- 
grown tubers in the South are equal to northern-grown 
potatoes as seed for the spring crop. However, many 
growers who raise early potatoes use northern seed. Even 
with good home-grown seed, experience in both Europe 
and America has shown that a change to seed potatoes 
from another locality is often necessary every few years 
to keep up the yield. 

It is usually best to cut the tubers before planting. 
There are machines that cut, drop the pieces, and fertilize 
the ground at the same time ; such machines are used 
with a profit in regions where potato-growing is carried 
on extensively. On well-cleared land, and where large 
areas are to be planted, it will pay to use them. 

Planting potatoes. 

For the fall crop, the seed potatoes are often sprouted 
before planting and cut to one or two eyes. If the planting 
is to be done by hand, care should be taken not to cut the 
tubers and leave them lying in a pile; even as small a 
heap as a bushel is liable to heat and partly to lose its 
germinating power in twenty-four hours. If the tubers 
are cut several days beforehand, scatter them to dry; 
the moisture lost by evaporation is soon regained when 
planted, and without perceptible loss in vigor of growth. 
Some growers advise the use of lime or land plaster on the 
cut tubers when they are not used immediately. The 
tubers should be cut so as to give the eyes as much "meat" 
as possible ; if the conditions are proper, only one or two 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 249 

eyes in each piece will start, the rest remaining dormant. 
The pieces are dropped about a foot apart in the row and 
covered by means of a plow, and if the land is loose, 
rolled. When irrigation is used, it is impossible to culti- 
vate across the rows and they should then be made as 
straight as possible so that the cultivator can run very near 
the row. It is possible to raise good crops of potatoes 
without hoeing at all. 

For fields that cannot be irrigated, the rows may be made 
2\ or 3 feet apart. Two by 2 feet is too close for good culti- 
vation. When labor is hard to obtain, it will be found 
cheaper to raise the crop in checks. In such a case, the 
rows may be marked out 2| feet apart with the crossmarks 
2 feet apart. If labor is cheap, the rows may be marked 
out 3 feet apart, and the potatoes dropped about a foot 
apart in the row. Such fields usually have to be hoed 
once or twice. Cover the pieces with 4 or 5 inches of soil. 

While potatoes like decaying vegetable matter, barn- 
yard manure is rarely used on account of its tendency to 
induce scab. It is difficult to make the soil too rich, but 
whether it will pay to use large quantities of commercial 
fertilizer depends on the conditions of the markets. 
Lime or other corrective of acidity should not be used. 

Cultivation of potatoes. 

The cultivation is much the same as for tomatoes, and 
should be carried on in the same way. When the potatoes 
are about to come through the ground, a good harrowing 
with a smoothing harrow or horse weeder will destroy many 
weeds and will take the place of the first hoeing. 

The cultivation should be thorough, and the first cul- 



250 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

tivation may be deep. If the field is not irrigated, it 
will be safer to employ level culture. Hill culture is good 
in a rainy year, but is disastrous in a very dry one. In 
case of a rainy season, trenches can be made in various 
parts of the field to relieve it from surplus water. By 
the time the tubers begin to form, the field should be 
"laid away." Towards the end the cultivation should 
be rather shallow. (See upper figure, Plate XII.) 

Harvesting. 

The time to harvest potatoes depends on the condition 
of the market. Usually the earliest crop brings the best 
returns ; very early potatoes never fail to sell well. The 
marketing is done in ordinary barrels. This is a staple 
crop, so it is not necessary to pay much attention to 
fine stencils and nice finish of containers. The buyers 
pay more attention to the product offered for sale than 
to the style in which it comes. 

It is not profitable to raise large quantities for the local 
market, unless one is engaged in the general vegetable 
business. The hotels throughout the South consume a 
considerable quantity, and their trade is worth soliciting. 
The time of harvesting is determined by the condition of 
the tubers ; if the skin peels off easily, they will not carry 
to a distant market, and be in a presentable condition. 
For midwinter delivery the market expects a certain 
amount of peel to be knocked off ; this insures the product 
as new. 

During the time that the crop brings a fancy price, 
it will pay to dig the potatoes by hand with a fork, but 
when the profits are small and the crops are large it will be 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 251 

found more profitable to use horse power. A favorite 
way is to plow them out with a common two-horse turning 
plow, and then have the hands gather those in sight and 
work the hills over till they are found. A more successful 
method is to use a potato digger. A cheap form is simply 
a large bull-tongue plow with iron rods projecting back 
to separate the potatoes and the soil. The machine is 
simple, but saves much labor and does efficient work. 
There are also much more elaborate machines, that dig 
and elevate the potatoes to a wagon, thus reducing the 
labor to a minimum; but these are not operated easily 
unless the land has been well cleared. 

Storing potatoes. 

In colder climates, all that is necessary is to keep the 
potatoes from freezing, and usually they will remain 
sound until spring. As soon as warm weather approaches, 
they begin to sprout. This may be prevented by keeping 
the cellar cool. In the South the matter of storing is not 
quite so simple, as the temperature is usually so high that 
germination begins soon after ripening. A successful 
way of keeping potatoes for family use is to kill the buds, 
and then barrel the tubers to prevent excessive evapora- 
tion. One-half to one per cent sulfuric acid will accomplish 
this. The potatoes are placed in the liquid for an hour 
and then removed to dry. Of course this will remove all 
vitality from the buds, and the potatoes can only be used 
for food. The operation kills many germs of decay at 
the same time, and so acts as a preservative. Another 
excellent way is to keep the tubers in thoroughly dried 
sand, to which one part in four of air-slaked lime has 



252 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

been added. This method has the advantage of not 
destroying their germinating power. 

Varieties of potatoes. 

The earlier potato varieties are preferable for market, 
as the early part of the crop pays best. The later varieties 
will be found good for home use, and give potatoes after 
the early ones have been exhausted. There are many 
disadvantages in raising the early varieties, however, 
and often they fail to produce a crop at all ; but as the 
vegetable-grower learns more about the requirements of 
the crop this becomes easier. Rose No. 4, Early Rose, 
Bliss Triumph, Early Ohio, Beauty of Hebron, and Bur- 
bank are good early varieties. Carman No. 1 and Rural 
New York No. 2 are good later varieties. 

Second crop of potatoes. 

It is a common practice to import potatoes for fall and 
winter use, but this has been proved unnecessary by the 
production of a second crop. The first crop does not keep 
well without special care later than September. In 
July or August tubers are spread out to the light under an 
arbor or on a barn floor where the sun will not hurt them. 
This is not necessary, but it will hasten their sprouting, 
and it is easier to take care of them here than when planted 
in a field. When the tubers have sprouted well they may 
be cut and planted, care being taken, of course, not to 
knock the sprouts off. Sometimes the long sprouts are 
taken off as "draws" and planted. 

The field may be planted any time, even as late as 
September, with a reasonable hope of securing a small 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 253 

crop. It will, however, be found difficult to keep the vines 
healthy and the field free from weeds. It is also necessary 
to have the field well prepared as to drainage, for while 
potatoes like a moist soil they cannot stand a soggy one. 
The second crop is simply intended for home use and 
for local markets. It is well worth the time and trouble 
to raise this fall crop when one has to pay $1.50 to $2 a 
bushel at retail for potatoes grown in the North. This 
second crop is sometimes used to supply seed tubers for 
the spring. 

Diseases of potatoes. 

Scab is often carried by the seed potatoes. It may be 
lessened or prevented by treating the seed with a dilute 
solution of corrosive sublimate or of formalin. 

Early blight is caused by a fungus which spreads on the 
leaves in ring-shaped areas, and decreases the yield. It 
may be prevented by repeated spraying with bordeaux 
mixture. 

Late blight destroys the leaves and rots the tubers. 
It may be prevented or checked by thorough spraying with 
bordeaux mixture. 

Rhizoctonia (Corticium) causes rotting of the base of 
the stem and rosetting. It is often carried by the seed 
potatoes, and the remedy is to plant healthy seed. 

Bacterial blight causes the leaves and stems to wilt 
and is contagious. 

Bulletins. 

Growing Irish Potatoes, Fla. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 82, 1905. 
The Cultivation of Potatoes, Va. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 174, 1907. 



254 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Potato Diseases, Maine Exp. Sta. Bulletin 149, 1907. 

The Improvement of the Potato, 111. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 127, 190S. 

Potato Growing, Minn. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 114, 1909. 

The Potato as a Truck Crop, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 407, 1910. 



SWEET POTATO 

The sweet potato is a tropical plant which is cultivated 
in most tropical and subtropical countries, and especially 
in the southern United States. In warm countries, it 
commonly produces some fertile seed, and new varieties 
can be obtained from these, as is done with the Irish 
potato. There has not been much systematic work done 
in this direction, though a beginning has been made in 
some tropical countries. The plant is remarkable for 
the ease with which cuttings of the green vines take root, 
and this is the commonest method of propagation. Its 
tuberous roots contain about the same percentage of 
starch as the Irish potato, together with a variable amount 
of sugar. 

This crop is cultivated extensively in the southern 
states. It may be grown successfully as far north as 
Nebraska and New York, but in these sections it cannot 
be regarded as more than a garden product. 

Soil for the sweet potato. 

Nearly all land in the South is adapted to this crop, 
but clay soil is not as good as loam. The opinion that rich 
land is not suitable is a mistake. Some of the very best 
crops have been raised on drained muckland. The sweet 
potato is so tolerant that it is difficult to find land that will 
not produce a fair crop. To produce a large crop, warm 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 255 

sandy soil should be chosen, well fertilized and plowed 
deeply. A finer grade of sweet potato for table use may be 
produced by plowing shallow and using less fertilizer or 
none at all. 

Fertilizer. 

The proportion of fertilizer ingredients should be as 
follows : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available phosphoric 
acid, 7 per cent; potash, 9 per cent. Use 800 to 1200 
pounds to the acre. If the soil is rich in nitrogenous 
matter, less of this element should be used, or if very rich, 
it should be omitted altogether. If the potatoes are 
intended for table use, the amount of fertilizer should be 
less than when grown for stock feed or for shipping. 
Sulfate of potash is preferred as a source of potash. 

The following quantities of fertilizers will give the 
amounts of each element called for in the formula : 

Pounds to the Acre 

500 to 800 cottonseed meal , or 
350 to 500 dried blood ; or 
200 to 300 nitrate of soda ; or 
150 to 250 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid 550 to 800 acid phosphate. 

1150 to 225 sulfate of potash ; or 
200 to 300 nitrate of potash ; or 
500 to 700 cottonseed hull ashes. 

Propagation of the sweet potato. 

To obtain early sets, or "draws," in subtropical climates, 
the whole potatoes should be placed in a hotbed or cold- 
frame and covered with an inch of soil, six or seven weeks 



256 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

before the young plants are wanted. By pushing the 
sets ahead in a hotbed, one will have new potatoes at 
least a month earlier than by waiting for them to sprout 
in the field. The early crop will be found to be among 
the most profitable for shipping ; if the crop is wanted for 
home consumption, it will be sufficient to make a bed in 
the open from which to obtain sets. The amount of space 
required in a hotbed for a bushel of potatoes varies from 
9 to 32 square feet, depending on the size of the potatoes 
used. The number of these plants required for an acre is 
from 5000 to 12,000, varying with the locality and the 
character of the soil. 

For repeated "drawing," 1^ to 2 bushels of small po- 
tatoes, or 4 to 10 bushels of large ones are required to give 
sets enough to plant an acre. Double that quantity will 
give enough sets at one drawing to plant an acre. 

The main crop of sweet potatoes is grown by vine cut- 
tings from an early patch planted by "sets." 

Preparation of the land for sweet potato, and transplanting. 

Nearly all of the crop is planted out on ridges to allow 
of drainage, but it is a question whether this is the most 
desirable method on sandy land. For an extensive crop 
the plants may be set in checks ; this requires fewer plants 
to an acre and gives a smaller yield, but it does away 
with most or all of the hoeing, which is an expensive 
operation. 

The labor of transplanting is an important item of 
expense, and if this could be reduced it would largely in- 
crease the acreage. The transplanting machine is some- 
times used for this crop. 





Plate XIII. — Big Boston Head Lettuce in Longitude Section, 
above ; below, Disc Cultivator in Sweet Potato Field. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 257 

An inexpensive and efficient way of preparing the land 
is shown in the illustration (Plate XIII). The beds are 
thrown up with a two-horse disk cultivator. The vine 
cuttings are dropped at proper intervals. The vines are 
then pushed three or four inches deep into the loose soil. 
A flat stick three or four feet long will be found convenient 
for this purpose. Either an end or the middle of the vine 
is pushed in the soil, according to the wishes of the planter. 
The rows should be made 3| to 4 feet apart and the 
plants set 15 to 18 inches in the row. If the crop is to be 
checked, the plants should be placed 3| by 3| feet, or for 
the smaller kinds 2| by 2| feet. 

Cultivation. 

The soil should be stirred often enough to keep it loose 
and free from weeds. If many and heavy rains fall, it 
will be necessary to cultivate oftener than when there is 
only a moderate amount of rain. All cultivation should be 
shallow and no vines covered. After the vines begin 
to run, it may be necessary to raise them with a pronged 
hook, or an attachment to the cultivator. Such a device 
may be made of ^-inch round iron about 4 feet long ; this 
iron is bent into the shape of a letter J and a loop or eye 
made at the end of the long arm. It is attached to the 
cultivator by passing a half-inch bolt through the eye 
and through the beam. The short arm of the bent iron 
is placed down, and by varying the amounts of curvature, 
and having the point more or less sharp, it will run under 
the vines and raise them out of the way. Some adjusting 
is necessary to adapt it to the particular implement and 
to the particular field. (See lower figure, Plate XIII.) 



258 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Storing. 

The harvesting of sweet potatoes is a simple operation ; 
the vines being removed, a man plows the crop out with a 
large two-horse plow. It is necessary to set the plow deep 
enough and to have one wide enough to turn the hills out 
completely ; a small plow and a shallow furrow will cause 
too many potatoes to be cut. In a sandy loam there is 
little else left to do than to pick up the crop. 

The storing may be done in houses or banks. A sweet 
potato house may be built of planks covered with sod and 
the cracks filled with clay. The temperature should 
remain as low as possible without freezing ; there are only 
occasional days when it will be cold enough to freeze, but 
as they are liable to occur every winter, one must prepare 
for them as though they occurred more frequently. 

A dry place should be selected, as convenient and as 
safe as possible. If the spot does not shed water, a bed 
of corn-stalks about 8 feet wide and as long as desired 
should be made. The potatoes are piled on this bed in 
an A-shaped pile about six feet high. This pile is packed 
with corn-stalks, rice straw, or boards, and covered with 
loam to the depth of 4 to 6 inches. If straw is used, a 
layer should be packed around the base of the pile, then 
another higher up, and so on; this will cause it to turn 
water out. In banking the soil, the same method should 
be followed. A number of ventilators should be made of 
boards. These should be perforated with auger-holes, 
and run through the central part of the heap. They 
should be so fixed that the rain cannot enter through them. 

A small quantity of sweet potatoes may be kept by 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 259 

placing them in dry sand or dry cottonseed hulls and 
keeping in a cool place. These methods may be used to 
keep them over from the time of taking out of the bank 
until new ones come on. The cooler the storage of sweet 
potatoes without freezing, the better they will keep. Just 
after they are put into piles, there will be a period of sweat- 
ing ; during this time the temperature is liable to run up to 
80° F., but no trouble need be anticipated from this source. 

Marketing. 

Sweet potatoes for shipping should be graded into two 
or three grades. They are shipped in double-headed 
ventilated barrels, holding eleven pecks. The yam 
varieties of sugary sweet potato are becoming somewhat 
more popular in the northern markets in the spring. 

Uses. 

Sweet potatoes can be easily dried in an evaporator 
after boiling and slicing, and there is some demand for 
the canned article. 

One of the mot promising uses is to feed to stock. The 
vines may also be used as hay. 

Enemies. 

The worst insect enemy of the sweet potato is the root- 
borer or weevil. This is found throughout the tropics 
and is spreading in some of the Gulf states. It may be 
checked by the destruction of all infested potatoes and by 
change of land. 

The black-rot is one of the worst fungous diseases. It 
attacks the young shoots and forms brownish patches on 



260 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the potatoes. It is spread by using sets from diseased 
potatoes. 

The liability to fungous diseases is lessened by using 
only cuttings from healthy vines to plant the fields, and 
by practicing rotation. 

Varieties of sweet potatoes. 

The varieties that give a very large yield do not make, 
as a rule, good table potatoes, and are generally grown for 
stock-feeding. 

In the North the sweet potato is usually boiled and a 
dry starchy one is preferred ; in the South the potato is 
usually baked and a sugary moist-fleshed one is in demand. 
Big-stem Jersey, Yellow Jersey, and Red Jersey are the 
most extensively grown varieties of the floury type. 
The moist sugary potatoes are usually known as yam 
potatoes, and among those grown for table use are Georgia 
Yam, Pumpkin Yam, Southern Queen, and Vineless. 
Triumph and Providence are favorites in Florida. Nancy 
Hall is also grown extensively there. 

There are about a hundred varieties, or about that 
many different names occur for varieties. The term 
yam should be omitted whenever practicable, as this 
refers to an entirely different vegetable. It pays to raise 
some mealy early varieties for shipping north. These 
always bring a good price, but are usually a home-grown 
product, because southern varieties are not shipped in. 

Bulletins. 

Fungus Diseases of Sweet Potatoes, N. J. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 76, 
1890. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 261 

New Method of Preserving Sweet Potatoes, S. C. Exp. Sta. 

Bulletin 71, 1902. 
Sweet Potato Experiments, Ark. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 72, 1902. 
Diseases of Sweet Potatoes, Ala. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 135, 1906. 
Sweet Potato Borer, Tex. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 93, 1907. 
Sweet Potatoes, U. S. D. A., Farmers' Bulletin 324, 1908. 



JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE 

This vegetable is not an artichoke, nor does it come from 
Jerusalem. It is an underground tuber belonging to 
the sunflower family (Heliantlius tuberosus) and is a native 
of the United States, where it was grown by the Indians. 
In its own country it has not met with much favor, and 
is disliked as a vegetable by some. But the varieties 
which are grown in Europe, when properly cooked, are 
liked by many, as an agreeable change from potatoes. 
It is grown successfully in most gardens of India in the 
hot season, and is appreciated there. From its early 
culture, large returns, and resistance to cold or heat, 
it well deserves a place in the subtropical or tropical 
garden. 

It is propagated from the tubers, which may be cut up 
like Irish potatoes. In English gardens, with rich soil, 
it is usually planted early in the spring in rows about 3 
feet apart, the sets being put about 6 inches deep and a 
foot or so apart. Its flowers rarely appear in England, 
probably from the shortness of the summer. In India 
the tubers are planted in May and the crop is ready in 
November. The flowers should be removed before they 
form seed. As soon as the tubers become firm and large 
in the fall they may be used for cooking, and will be in 



262 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

good condition until they begin to sprout in the spring. 
The harvesting may be done by plowing out the row and 
then picking up the tubers that are in sight. A harrow 
is then run over the furrow to drag out as many more as 
is practicable. Hogs may be turned into the field to 
gather what is left. If the hogs are not left in the field 
too long, tubers enough will be left to produce plants for 
another year, but these will not be in rows, so they can- 
not be cultivated as before. This difficulty may be 
avoided by saving tubers enough to plant the field again. 
The tubers may be stored in dry earth. 



YAM 

Different species of yam (genus Dioscorea) grow wild or 
are cultivated throughout the tropical belt, and even in 
the subtropical regions of China and Japan. They have 
large perennial rootstocks containing much starch (seldom 
sugar). From these arise long twining vines with heart- 
shaped leaves. Some varieties of sweet potato are called 
"yams" in the southern United States, but the real yams 
have no resemblance to the sweet potatoes. Yams 
form an important article of food for the laboring classes 
in the West and East Indies, and the best varieties are 
served at the table in all houses where the potato cannot 
be obtained, as is often the case. 

As a table vegetable, even the best yams are inferior 
to the potato, although when properly cooked they make 
a passable substitute. It does not seem likely that the 
yam will come in favor at any northern market where the 
potato can be obtained, except perhaps as a curiosity. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 263 

But in tropical countries, where the Irish potato can only 
be raised on the mountains, or during the cool season, the 
best kind of yams should find a place in the vegetable 
garden. Several varieties of yam have the advantage over 
the sweet potato as a staple food in that they can be kept 
for a much longer period out of ground without damage. 
Yams are also easy to grow, and may be planted at all 
seasons of the year and taken up from the ground almost 
at any time when they are wanted, so that a constant 
supply may be had. They form the staff of life of the 
negro population of the Antilles. 

The yams are propagated by cutting off the top of 
the rootstock and planting it again with the attached 
vines ; or after this has grown for a few months, the yam 
it produces is cut up into pieces with buds on each, and 
these pieces used for a new crop ; or the top of the yam 
may be cut at once into "sets." The "sets" are planted 
several in a hill with a stake to climb on, at 6 to 8 feet 
apart, or are allowed to trail on the ground. They have 
been found to give better returns when staked. The 
yams are ready in seven to eleven months. Several 
yams may be produced by one plant, and according to the 
species or variety may weigh from a few ounces to a 
hundred pounds each. The produce may be a dozen 
tons to the acre. 

The white or square-stemmed yam is the most exten- 
sively grown, and there are many varieties of it, some with 
purple flesh. 

The small yam from South America, called cushcush, 
with three-lobed leaves, is one of the best to use as a table 
vegetable. There are a hundred or more other species 



264 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

and varieties cultivated, or dug in the forests, throughout 
the tropics. 

The Chinese yam will endure a severe winter and is 
grown as an ornamental in the United States under the 
name of "cinnamon vine." This, like the Japanese yam, 
bears tubers above-ground in the leaf-axils, by which 
it may be propagated. 

It is possible that the coarser kinds of yam might be 
used as food for stock in tropical and subtropical regions 
where the cost of labor in digging them was not too high. 

RADISH 

Radishes can be grown well in the cool season in the 
tropical belt, if they can be provided with sufficient water. 
In the hottest weather they soon become acrid and 
woody. They may be grown under slat sheds. 

The radish is one of the most easily grown vegetables 
known. The early varieties mature in a remarkably 
short time and under a low temperature. In fact, it is 
so easily grown that there is usually no profit in raising 
it for distant markets. A bed 6 by 12 feet can keep a 
family supplied throughout the entire season for the crop. 
For local markets, the radish is a favorite crop with the 
market-gardeners ; it grows rapidly, costs little, and sells 
well. The quickly maturing varieties require only twenty 
to thirty days and remain good for only four to eight days. 

Soil and preparation. 

A light, warm, and rich soil should be chosen for radishes. 
Water is needed in abundance, but the land must not be 




Plate XIV. — Root Vegetables. 

Left top, French Breakfast radish ; right top, Long Scarlet radish ; left 
bottom, Rose Turnip radish ; right bottom, Chantenay carrot. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 265 



soggy. The particles that go to make up the soil should 
be rather coarser than for the average garden crop. 

All rubbish should be removed and the soil stirred to a 
moderate depth. The land should be raked off smoothly 
and no rough and undecomposed material should remain 
on the plot. 

Fertilizer for radishes. 

The proportion of fertilizer ingredients should be as 
follows: ammonia, 3| per cent; available phosphoric 
acid, 7 per cent; potash, 9 per cent. Use 1000 pounds 
of the above formula to the acre. This fertilizer should 
be applied in the drill, and worked in shallowly for the 
early spring radish, but deeply for the summer or winter 
radish. 

The following will give the amounts of fertilizer to 
apply to secure the desired quantity of each element : 

Pounds to the Acre 

350 to 500 cottonseed meal ; or 

200 to 300 dried blood ; or 

130 to 200 nitrate of soda ; or 

100 to 150 sulfate of ammonia. 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid 
Potash . . . 



500 to 700 acid phosphate. 



900 to 

120 to 

125 to 

I 230 to 



1300 kainit; or 
180 muriate of potash ; or 
200 high-grade sulfate of potash ; or 
340 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



Solving and cultivation. 



The early varieties should be sown in very rich warm 
loam, three or four weeks before they are wanted. A seed- 



266 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

bed or coldframe is to be recommended. The seed should 
be sown in drills about 3 inches apart, dropped an inch 
apart in the row and covered about half an inch deep. 
The soil should not be allowed to become dry from the 
time the seed is sown as it is liable to make the radishes 
pithy. 

Only a slight amount of cultivation is required. Weeds 
may be kept down by pulling as they appear. 

The summer varieties should be sowed in drills 12 to 
18 inches apart, and about 1 inch apart in the row, and 
the seed covered about an inch deep. The soil requires 
stirring about twice as often as for ordinary crops. It 
sometimes happens that the plants come to a standstill 
in growth ; in such a case, some liquid manure or nitrate 
of soda should be applied along the row. 

The winter varieties should be sown in rows about 18 
inches apart, and thinned out to about 2 inches in the row. 
These varieties require a long time to mature, and there- 
fore should be sown in November or December, or some 
may be sown as early as October. The cultivation is the 
same as for summer radish. 

Marketing radishes. 

For marketing radishes, the bunches are made about 
four inches in diameter. The roots are washed clean of all 
adhering soil, and are turned up so as to show the clear 
scarlet and white color. Radishes make a fine display 
for marketing. For distant market they are packed in 
bunches of about a dozen each, most of the leaves being 
removed, in half-barrel veneer baskets, or in barrels with 
ice. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 267 

Seed raising. 

A variety of radish that grows well on a particular soil 
and sells well in the market ought to be grown to seed by 
the gardener. The finest radishes should be selected and 
allowed to remain in the place where they were grown. 
As soon as the flowering stalk has reached a height of 
eighteen inches, a strong stake should be driven down 
beside the radish and the seed-stalk tied to this. Care 
is necessary to remove the stalks as they ripen, or birds 
are liable to become troublesome. The stalks must be 
hung up away from mice and rats, and when all are dry 
the seed may be beaten out. After beating, the seed may 
be winnowed and packed in dry bottles for seeding time. 

Varieties of radishes. 

There are numerous varieties, or so-called varieties, of 
radishes, many of which differ imperceptibly from one 
another. The favorite shipping variety in south Texas 
is the Scarlet White-Tipped. Among the early spring 
forms are French Breakfast, Scarlet Globe, and Early 
Scarlet, as good varieties. For the South, the varieties 
that grow larger and for which more time is required are 
better. Among this class are Long Scarlet, Chartier, 
Glass, Large White Summer, and Large Yellow Summer, 
as good varieties. (See Plate XIV.) 

The scarlet varieties usually sell better than the white or 
yellow ones, but for home use there is probably no choice. 

The winter varieties grow larger and require more time 
for growth. These are favorites in the South, especially 
the scarlet varieties. For marketing, the following are 



268 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



good : White Spanish, Scarlet Chinese, and Celestial. 
The Long Black Spanish and Round Black Spanish are 
good in some markets and for home use. 

Comparison of Varieties of Radish grown in the Open 

Garden 



Early White Turnip 
Early Scarlet Turnip 
White-tipped Scarlet Turnip 
Beckert's Chartier . . . 
Rapid Forcing .... 
Wood's Early Frame . . 
Long White Vienna . . 
Long Brightest Scarlet 
Crimson Giant .... 
Early Round Dark Red . 
Long Scarlet Short Top . 
White Stuttgart Summer 

Triumph 

Scarlet Globe-Shaped . . 
White Naples .... 
Long White Icicle . 
Scarlet Chinese Winter . 
Early Deep-Scarlet Turnip 
French Breakfast 
Deep Blood-Red 
Non Plus Ultra 
Scarlet Gem 
White Strasburg 
Rose Turnip 
Red Forcing 
Early Scarlet Globe 



36 
33 
31 
35 
31 
36 
36 
36 
31 
36 
36 
36 
31 
31 
36 
36 
38 
31 
33 
33 
36 
31 
35 
31 
31 
36 



Shape 



round 
round 
round 
long 
round 
long 
long 
long 
oval 
round 
long 
round 
round 
round 
round 
long 
long 
round 
oblong 
round 
round 
round 
long 
round 
round 
round 



Size 



large 

large 

medium 

large 

large 
medium 
medium 
medium 

large 
medium 
medium 
medium 

small 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
medium 
very small 

medium 
medium 



Color 



white 

scarlet, white tip 

scarlet, white tip 

scarlet 

scarlet 

scarlet 

white 

red, white-tipped 

crimson 

scarlet 

scarlet 

white 

white, scarlet-streaked 

scarlet 

white 

white 

scarlet 

scarlet 

red 

red 

red 

scarlet 

white 

scarlet 

red 
scarlet 



TURNIP 



Turnips can be grown for the table in the intertropical 
belt in the cool season, if regularly supplied with water. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 269 

In a hot climate they often become strong-tasting. The 
varieties used in Europe for forcing under glass in winter 
are said to do well in tropical climates, and plants grown 
from acclimated seed have been found to give best results. 
In subtropical countries turnips are grown in the fall, 
winter, and spring. 

This crop is so easily grown that it is scarcely necessary 
to discuss it from that point of view, yet it is not appre- 
ciated as it ought to be. Turnips cannot be recommended 
as a crop to be shipped to distant markets in large 
quantities, but the local markets and southern cities will 
use a considerable quantity, and the northern markets 
take bunched turnips packed with ice in the winter. 

Soil and preparation. 

Newly prepared, or what is often called raw land, will 
raise a crop, if it is not too badly stocked with weeds. 
Muckland, or land containing much nitrogenous matter, 
should be avoided, except in cases where the product 
is to be used for stock feed. Wet or soggy land will not 
raise a crop, but on the whole this crop has a much 
wider range in the matter of soil and moisture than most 
of the cultivated plants. 

About the same amounts and kind of fertilizer that are 
recommended for radish should be used for turnips. 

If the land is heavy or inclined to be hard, it should be 
plowed deeply, but a light loam will need only a slight 
amount of stirring. 

Planting and cultivating. 

Turnip seeds are best sown with a seed drill. They may 
be sown by hand, but this is not satisfactory. A tin 



270 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

can, with a hole punched in the bottom, may be used as a 
make-shift on a small scale. The rows should be made 
18 inches to 2 feet apart, and the seed sown about twice 
as thick as the plants are wanted to stand. The seed 
should be covered § inch to 1 inch deep. When the 
plants are 4 or 5 inches high, thin out, so as to give them 
from 4 to 8 inches each. The cultivation needs to be 
sufficient to keep the ground mellow and the weeds from 
growing. 

Marketing. 

Turnips that can be marketed in October and November 
meet with ready sale in local markets, in bunches contain- 
ing five to eight turnips with "greens." Later, the greens 
are not wanted, and the turnips are marketed like potatoes. 
In the winter and spring they are sent to the northern 
markets bunched, with ice in the barrel. 

Varieties of turnip. 

The field varieties may be used in the kitchen if taken 
before they mature. After they are full grown they be- 
come too coarse-grained ; this may be changed somewhat 
by withholding the nitrogen in the fertilizer. Early 
White Flat Dutch is an old and standard variety. Scarlet 
Kashmyr is a good early variety for quick growing. 
Early White Egg is good for an early crop. Early Milan 
and Purple Top White Globe are also favorites. 

RUTABAGA 

Rutabaga is also called the Swedish turnip. There are 
only a few points in which it differs from the turnip. It 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 271 

usually has denser yellow flesh and takes longer to mature. 
The roots can stand the long summer heat without becom- 
ing acrid or woody, and while they cannot be considered 
a delicate dish, they fill an important gap that would 
otherwise occur in the kitchen garden of the South. 
A good kind is the Purple Top rutabaga. For a summer 
crop, the seed should be sown in winter or spring. For 
other points regarding this vegetable, the reader is re- 
ferred to the account of the turnip. The rutabaga is 
more grown as a stock feed than as a vegetable. 

BEET 

Beets can readily be grown for table use in the cool 
season in tropical and even in equatorial regions, if suffi- 
cient water is provided to insure continuous growth. 
Beets are grown, for shipping to northern markets, during 
the winter, in the Gulf states. They ship well, and are 
in fairly constant demand in the winter months. Two 
crops are sometimes raised on the same land between 
October and May. 

Soil and preparation. 

Beets require a moist soil. One that would be con- 
sidered too damp for the usual garden crops will raise a 
good crop of beets ; of course, a cold, clammy soil should 
be avoided. They grow well under irrigation. Drained 
land makes an excellent beet field, provided the amount 
of nitrogen in it is comparatively small. 

The land should be plowed deeply and harrowed to a 
level. 



272 



Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Fertilizer for beets. 

Fertilizer ingredients in the following proportions should 
be applied to beet land : ammonia, 5 per cent ; available 
phosphoric acid, 6 per cent ; potash, 9 per cent. Use at 
the rate of 600 to 1000 pounds of the above formula to an 
acre. When beets are raised for sugar, sulfate of potash, 
free from chlorine, is used as a source of potash. 

The following ingredients will give the desired amounts 
for one acre : 

Pounds to the Acre 



Ammonia 



Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



400 to 650 cottonseed meal ; or 

250 to 400 dried blood ; or 

160 to 275 nitrate of soda; or 

130 to 200 sulfate of ammonia. 

360 to 600 acid phosphate. 

800 to 1300 kainit ; or 

100 to 180 muriate of potash ; or 

110 to 190 high-grade sulfate of potash; or 

200 to 350 low-grade sulfate of potash. 



The fertilizer should be applied along the row, and 
worked in thoroughly a week or ten days before the seed 
is planted. 

Seeding and cultivating beets. 

The rows should be made 18 inches or 2 feet apart, 
and the seed sown about three times as thick as the seed- 
lings are wanted to stand. While the seed rarely fails 
altogether, it does not come up evenly; so it should be 
sown thickly, and cut out to make a good stand. Seeding 
is best done by a seed drill. When the plants are about an 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 273 

inch high, they should be thinned out to about 3 inches 
apart in the row. If the land is strong, two rows may be 
drilled, about 4 inches apart in place of one row; or if 
the seed is sown by hand, a drill about 5 inches wide may 
be made and the seed scattered along this. The seed 
should be covered from ^ to 1 inch deep, depending on the 
soil and amount of moisture. 

Soon after the seedlings are up, there is a period during 
which they make no apparent progress, especially if the 
weather is unfavorable. If the temperature is at the 
freezing point, it is well not to force the plantlets ; but 
during warm weather an application of liquid manure or 
a solution of nitrate of soda will hasten them over this 
stage. 

Cultivating should all be done with a wheel-hoe or a 
horse cultivator; avoid using a hand hoe as it is slow 
and expensive. The soil should be kept loose, so that the 
fleshy roots have room to form in the ground. As the 
tap-root goes down straight and deep, there is no danger 
of disturbing it while cultivating. 

It is usually unprofitable to transplant beets for the 
market ; therefore it should not be practiced, except 
when it is known that the product will sell well, or for 
home use. 

Marketing. 

Beets may be marketed as soon as they are two or more 
inches across. They should be pulled, and the leaves 
cut an inch or more from the fleshy root. If the leaves 
are cut too close, the roots lose more moisture than they 
otherwise would, and hence appear in the market wilted. 



274 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

If the beets are to be bunched, the tops are left on, the 
outer leaves only being removed ; or the tops are cut to 
six inches and the beets tied in bunches of three to six. 

The ordinary vegetable crate or even a barrel will be 
found desirable for use for marketing, although ventilated 
barrels and veneer baskets are often used. 

In the vicinity of a pickling establishment small varieties 
of beets may be raised, or the thinning out may be delayed 
until the roots can be used for pickling. 

Varieties of beets. 

Extra Early Eclipse, and Extra Early Egyptian are 
good varieties for shipping. Extra Early Bastian is a 
good early beet. Electric is also a favorite shipping sort. 
As a rule, the turnip-shaped varieties are preferred in 
the northern markets ; as to color, the market prefers a 
deep red. There are other varieties worthy of mention 
and desirable for home use. 

The varieties used for making sugar and for feeding to 
stock are large and coarse-grained, and, consequently, 
not valuable for a garden crop. 

CARROT 

Carrots may be grown as readily as turnips in the cool 
season of most tropical and subtropical countries. They 
take three, four, or five months to mature. 

This root crop may be shipped to a distant market 
without danger of loss. Vegetable-growers should raise 
and ship a few crates, bunched with leaves, and re- 
frigerated during April and May. The carrot is also an 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 275 

excellent crop to raise for home use. The nutritive ratio 
is high for vegetables and the taste pleasant. If one has 
planted more carrots than are needed, they may be fed 
to horses, cows, or hogs to good advantage. 

The vegetable is a good keeper and the northern markets 
are stocked with the old crop until growing season in the 
spring — April or May. New carrots are to be found 
in the New York markets, however, during the late 
winter months. 

Soil and preparation. 

A deep, rich, dark-colored loam is usually chosen for 
this crop, when grown extensively. It will make good 
roots on sandy loam or even on a light clay soil, but the 
ground must be mellow. It is not necessary that the land 
should be rich in nitrogenous matter, but it should con- 
tain a good supply of phosphoric acid and potash. A wet 
soil will not raise a good crop. 

The land should be plowed deeply and all rubbish re- 
moved, especially undecomposed vegetable matter. 

Fertilizer for carrots. 

The following fertilizer proportions should be used : 
ammonia, 3 per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 7 per 
cent; potash, 8 per cent. Use from 600 to 900 pounds 
of the above formula on ordinary land. If the land is 
rich in nitrogenous matter, less nitrogen can be used 
or it may be omitted altogether. 

The fertilizer should be mixed thoroughly with the soil 
and worked in more deeply than usual. 



276 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

Sowing and cultivation of carrots. 

The seed should be sown with a drill, in rows about 18 
inches apart, and covered about \ inch deep. About 
three times as many seeds should be sown as plants are 
wanted, and when the plants are an inch high, the inferior 
ones should be trimmed out, leaving the others to stand 
from two to four inches in the row. 

The time of sowing will depend upon the variety in hand. 
The later and longer ones should be sown in October, the 
earlier ones in November, and the very earliest ones about 
the first of December. The seed is rather slow to germinate, 
so a few seeds of cabbage, radish, or turnips should be 
mixed with it to indicate the rows before the carrot seed- 
lings are visible. 

The soil should be kept in a high state of cultivation, 
and plowing should begin before the seed is up. The 
plowing should be deep and close to the rows, except during 
dry weather, when plowing should be shallow and frequent 
enough to keep the land mellow. 

Marketing. 

The young or spring crop is marketed with the leaves on, 
as it thus brings a higher price. The carrots are washed, 
the large and dry leaves removed, and about six tied in a 
bunch. Marketing is usually done in boxes or barrels, 
but good crates would be preferable. Refrigeration may 
be required for long distance shipping in the spring. 

Varieties of carrots. 

Early Scarlet Horn, Oxheart, and Half Long Nantes 
are favorite varieties of orange-colored and early carrots; 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 277 

Dan vers and Chantenay (Plate XIV) are also recommended. 
Long Orange and Large White Belgian will prove more 
vigorous, and are generally grown for stock feed ; therefore 
they should not be sown in the market-garden except 
when there are facilities for marketing the half-grown crop. 



PARSNIP 

The parsnip can be raised in the cool season in sub- 
tropical and the cooler tropical countries, although beets 
or carrots are usually preferred since they can be grown 
in less time. 

Many persons enjoy the taste of parsnips from the first 
trial. Others acquire a liking for them, while only a few 
do not relish them. It is not advisable to use them for 
stock feed, although it is sometimes done. The parsnip 
is not a good vegetable to be grown for distant markets, 
but should be raised for home use and local markets. 

Soil and preparation. 

The native habitat of the parsnip is in moist or swampy 
places, and here it grows " all to top " and produces only a 
small root ; but with the transfer to dry uplands comes 
an increased size of root. A dry, deep loam should be 
selected and prepared as deeply as the implements and 
soil will permit and the fertilizer worked in deeply. 

Fertilizer for parsnips. 

Fertilizer in the following proportions should be applied : 
ammonia, 3§ per cent ; available phosphoric acid, 9 per 
cent ; potash, 8 per cent. Use from 600 to 900 pounds of 



278 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

the above formula in the drills. One should be sure that 
it is worked in deeply and thoroughly. A good way will 
be to run out a deep double furrow where the row is to 
be, apply a portion of the fertilizer, and mix thoroughly 
with enough soil to fill about one-third of the furrow; 
then add some more fertilizer and mix in more soil ; 
continue this mixing until all the fertilizer has been used, 
when the row should be a little above the general level. 
If the flat or turnip-shaped varieties are planted, the prep- 
aration and fertilizer need not be so deep. 

Sowing and cultivating parsnips. 

Seed should be sown during September, October and 
November. The earliest sowing will allow the plants to 
mature by the first of January. The summer crop has 
not met with so much success. There is no danger of 
the young plants being frozen. The rows should be made 
18 inches or 2 feet apart and thinned to 4 inches in the 
row. The seed is a little slow to germinate, so it will be 
well to add some radish or turnip seed to mark the row. 

The cultivation is best carried on by horse implements 
after the plants are about four or five inches high. When 
the roots are about a foot long and an inch in diameter, 
they will be found sufficiently mature to use. Parsnips 
are marketed in barrels, very much as potatoes. The 
preparation for table use is quite similar to that of potatoes. 

Varieties. 

The improved Hollow Crown, or Sugar, and Student are 
good long varieties of parsnip ; the first named is the larger 
and longer. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 279 



SALSIFY OR OYSTER PLANT 

Salsify can be raised in the outer parts of the tropical 
belt. The demand for this, the vegetable oyster, is 
continually increasing. While it will not be in great 
demand for home consumption, it is still a good plant to 
raise, as it sells readily and can stand shipping. The seed 
is difficult to save on account of birds destroying it. 

This seed should be sown in the fall or during the winter. 
The cultivation and preparation of the soil are much the 
same as for the usual root crops. A sandy loam is 
preferred. The rows are about 2 feet apart, and the 
plants thinned to 4 or 6 inches in the row. 

For market the large tap-root is dug up, and, with the 
leaves, is washed and trimmed. Six or eight usually 
make a bunch. It is used mostly in the North during 
the winter and early spring. A good market for this 
vegetable can be opened by growing it in the South so 
that it can be offered for sale during May and June, after 
the fresh oyster can no longer be obtained. Sandwich 
Island Mammoth is one of the best varieties. 



DASHEEN OR TARO 

The taro, frequently called tanyah in Florida (Colocasia 
antiquorum var. esculentum) , is cultivated in most tropical 
countries, being a staple food in the Pacific Islands. 
Varieties of it are grown in India, China, and Japan. It 
may readily be distinguished from tanier by the leaf-stalk 
being attached near the middle, not at the base, of the 



280 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

blade. In some varieties, such as the dasheens, the 
root-stock forms many side-tubers. The usual method of 
propagation in the Pacific Islands and in some parts of 
the West Indies is to cut off the top of the root with about 
six inches of the leaf-stalks, and plant this. In India the 
small tubers are planted. In Florida the smaller tubers 
are usually used for planting. 

The distance apart varies from 1 to 4 feet, in rows 4 
to 6 feet apart, according to variety. The crop may 
require nine months or more to ripen, according to the 
variety. The roots can be left for some time in the ground, 
and may also be kept in a dry place for a considerable 
time after digging. On irrigated land between the 
tropics, up to fifteen tons to an acre are grown by native 
methods. The plant, however, may be grown without 
irrigation ; although it requires abundant moisture to do 
well, it does not do well in swampy lands. The general 
methods of cultivation and fertilization applied to potatoes 
will be found applicable. After the leaves shade the 
ground completely, which usually occurs in summer, no 
further cultural attention will be requried. Taro has 
been grown successfully in southern California and in 
Florida, and it is a useful garden vegetable in tropical 
and subtropical regions. In the tropics it may be planted 
at almost any time, and in the subtropical regions at the 
end of the cool season. (See Plate XV.) 

In parts of Florida one variety commonly called tanyah 
has escaped from cultivation. In earlier times it was used 
as food by the Indians, and later collected for shipment to 
the North, where the tubers commanded a good price 
for use as ornamentals. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 281 

Uses of dasheen. 

Much attention has been given to dasheens by the 
United States Department of Agriculture. Different 
varieties have been extensively introduced throughout 
the southern states. The tubers, when cooked like pota- 
toes, form a very appetizing dish. (See Plate XVI.) 
They may be prepared in almost all ways that potatoes are 
prepared. In preparing for use, it should be remembered 
that the tubers and leaves are decidedly acrid. To prevent 
irritation to the hands, the tubers should be handled in water 
to which a teaspoonful of salsoda to a quart has been added. 

The young leaves when well cooked make a good vege- 
table for greens. 

In Hawaii, taro has been in cultivation since before the 
discovery of the islands by the Caucasian race. Poi is a 
favorite dish prepared from this crop and may in a general 
way be likened to oatmeal or grits as used in the United 
States. 

Bulletins. 

Yautias, Taros, Dasheens, Bur. Plant Ind. Bulletin 164, 1910. 
The Dasheen, a Root Crop for the Southern States, Bur. Plant 
Ind. Circular 127, 1913. 

tanier (Xanthosoma) 

Tanier is a staple vegetable in the West Indies and the 
neighboring parts of Central and South America. It is 
one of the aroid family, and is allied to dasheen. It is 
called yautia in Porto Rico. It is sometimes confused 
with the taro, but can be easily distinguished by its 



282 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

leafstalk joining the leaf blade at the base instead of near 
the middle. Most varieties have no stem above ground, 
and the height of leaves and leaf-stalks varies from one to 
eight feet. Most taniers produce many white, yellow, or 
pink tubers on the sides of the main root-stock, and it is 
these tubers which are chiefly used for food. A tuber 
may weigh up to two pounds or more, and one plant may 
yield over four pounds of tubers. Many varieties also 
produce abundant suckers. The tanier is preferable 
to the taro as a starch-producer, and rivals the cassava 
in this respect. It contains about the same amount of 
carbohydrates as the sweet potato, but mainly starch. 
One of the best varieties is the tanier with white tubers, 
called Rolliza in Porto Rico. This matures its crop in 
about eight months and would probably be valuable for 
south Florida, and other subtropical countries. The 
tubers keep well in the ground, but dry up in the air. 
They are eaten boiled or baked, like Irish potatoes. 
The young leaves are cooked as greens. 

The tanier is usually propagated by cutting off the head 
of the rootstock with a few inches of the leaf-stalks, and 
using these as sets. It may also be reproduced by planting 
small tubers, or by cutting up the main root-stock into 
pieces. The sets may be planted in rows 4 to 6 feet apart 
and at distances of 1| to 3 feet in the row, according to 
the variety. This would give from 2400 to 7000 plants 
approximately to the acre. The yield may be as much as 
seven to fifteen tons to the acre in good soil. 

Bulletin. 

The Yautias or Taniers, Porto Rico Exp. Sta. Bulletin 6, 1905. 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 283 



HORSE-RADISH 

Horse-radish has been grown in the cool season or at an 
elevation in tropical lands. It has not been grown to a 
large extent in the southern United States. It requires a 
deep, rich, sandy soil, and is usually planted as a by-crop. 
It is worthy of a test in each locality, but no one should 
invest in this crop without knowing that it will succeed. 

The soil should be prepared as for cabbage. The sets will 
be found to be small straight roots, about \ inch in diameter 
and 6 inches long. The rows should be made about 2 feet 
apart and the sets planted 18 inches in the row. A deep 
hole should be made with a dibber, or other suitable 
implement, and the set dropped in it in an upright posi- 
tion. The crown of the set should go from 2 to 4 inches 
below the surface of the soil. The cultivation need not be 
frequent, but had best be deep. 

The roots are the only marketable parts ; these should 
be removed from the soil, washed, and trimmed. They 
will remain in a marketable condition for several weeks 
after digging, and may be shipped as freight. 

CASSAVA 

There are two classes of varieties of this tropical Ameri- 
can plant, the bitter and the sweet. Only the sweet 
varieties seem to be cultivated in Florida and Colombia. 
In Florida a considerable area was grown during the late 
nineties for the production of starch, and two large factories 
were established for preparing the starch for market. 
In the West Indies and Brazil, both kinds are grown. It 



284 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

is often difficult to distinguish between the two. The 
characters that are marks of distinction in one locality 
do not seem to apply in another place. 

The bitter varieties contain so much hydrocyanic 
(prussic) acid in the substance of their roots, that they are 
poisonous, and cannot be fed to animals ; neither can they 
be used as food until the roots have been grated to meal 
and the juice squeezed out. The meal must be well 
dried on hot iron plates, and it then forms the staff of 
life in much of South America. Pressed into large thin 
biscuits and cooked on hot iron plates, it forms cassava 
bread, which has a peculiar appetizing flavor of its own. 
The starch which settles from the juice is also heated on 
iron plates, and is then well known as tapioca. 

The roots of the sweet varieties of cassava, on the other 
hand, contain hydrocyanic acid, in quantity, only in the 
rind. The roots, stems, and leaves may be fed raw to 
farm animals. The peeled roots may be cooked and used 
hot as a vegetable, forming a cheap food in tropical 
countries. However, cases of poisoning sometimes arise 
from mistaking the bitter for the sweet cassava. 

The sweet cassava roots are used to a considerable 
extent as a vegetable in the West Indies and other tropical 
American countries. The bitter cassava is well worth 
raising for the sake of the biscuits, which are most whole- 
some and appetizing. 

Cassava is grown from short pieces of the thick stems, 
which are planted 4 to 6 feet apart each way in a well- 
drained soil. The planting is done in subtropical regions 
as early in the year as possible, and in the tropics during 
the cool season. In eight to twelve months the roots are 



Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 285 

ready for use, but they may be left in the ground for a 
considerable time without injury. They do not keep well 
after being removed from the ground. In regions where 
light freezing weather occurs during the winter, the 
canes may be stored in a bank. They should be cut 
early, just before frost may be expected. After cutting, 
they should be placed in large compact piles and covered 
with soil. One should choose a place that is well drained 
and one that will keep quite dry. The object of the bank- 
ing is to keep the canes from drying out and being frosted. 

Bulletins. 

Sweet Cassava, U. S. D. A., Bur. of Chem. Bulletin 44, 1894. 
Cassava, Farmers' Bulletin 167, 1903. 



LLEREN 

Lleren has been long cultivated in the West Indies, and 
especially in Porto Rico. It was described in 1904, 
by O. W. Barrett, in the "Plant World." It grows about 
three feet high, and like the banana, increases by offsets 
or "heads." It bears many ovoid root-tubers, an inch 
or two long. These are boiled, and after removing the 
skins, are eaten as a vegetable. The flavor is said to re- 
semble sweet corn, and is liked by most persons. It is a 
good shipper. In Porto Rico the "heads" are planted 
in rows 4 feet apart, with 2 feet between the plants. 
It requires a year or more to produce a crop of large-sized 
tubers. These root-tubers cannot be used for propagation. 
The plant is Calathea Alluia, allied to Maranta and 
Canna. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

OTHER VEGETABLES; PLANTING LIST 

Here are brought together short accounts of several 
tropical or subtropical vegetables that are cultivated more 
or less in those regions, and that offer a promising field for 
improvement by selection and the discovery of useful 
sports. They are not yet grown commercially in Florida, 
and apparently not elsewhere in adjacent tropical regions. 

CHENOPODIUM QUINOA 

This annual vegetable has been grown in the high regions 
of Colombia, Peru, and Chile for hundreds of years. There 
are several varieties. The seeds are cooked with soups or 
fish, or used as a porridge. They must first be boiled 
to get rid of acridity. The leaves are eaten like spinach. 
This plant could be grown on tropical or subtropical 
mountains. 

ULLUCUS TUBEROSUS 

This vegetable has long been cultivated in the mountains 
of Peru and Bolivia at 3000 feet or more high. Its creeping 
rhizome bears fleshy tubers like potatoes but smaller, and 
containing sugar as well as starch. Several varieties are 
known. It is said to be propagated both by the tubers 
and by cuttings. It will endure some frost. 

286 



Other Vegetables 287 

ARRACACIA XANTHORRHIZA (a. ESCULENTA) 

This excellent vegetable of the mountain regions of 
Venezuela and Colombia resembles the carrot or parsnip, 
to which it is related, and to which its flavor is said to be 
superior. It is grown in Porto Rico on the mountains. 
It is well suited for culture on all tropical mountains 
at elevations of a few thousand feet. It is grown like 
carrots or celery (without blanching) ; but seed is not 
used (and is rarely produced). The crop is grown from 
small "heads" which form at the bases of the leaf-stalks. 
It is said to mature in four months sufficiently to be of 
use ; and a longer period, up to eleven months, allows the 
roots to grow larger. There are several varieties. It is 
eaten boiled, fried in slices, or in soups. 

yam-bean (Pachyrhizus erosus and P. tuberosus) 

There are two or three kinds of this tropical plant. 
The one grown in Mexico has two varieties at least. It 
is grown on ridges in irrigated fields. The roots, which 
resemble turnips in shape, are eaten raw or cooked. 
They are dug up before they get large and woody, and the 
plants are not allowed to mature seed. A yam-bean is 
much cultivated in Indo-China and the Malay archipelago 
for its roots, of which it yields under a ton an acre in three 
or four months. The roots are eaten raw or boiled, and 
contain 22 per cent of starch, 11 per cent of sugar, and 
12 per cent of proteid. The yam-bean is worth culti- 
vating in tropical and subtropical countries. The pods 
of one kind are eaten like string beans. 



288 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

goa bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) 

This leguminous plant, of which there are several 
varieties, is much grown in India, where its young tuber- 
ous roots are eaten raw or cooked, being dug before any 
seeds ripen. The young green pods form an excellent 
vegetable when cooked like string beans. It is called in 
Australia the asparagus pea. It has large light-blue flowers, 
and is well worth growing in tropical vegetable-gardens. 

new Zealand spinach (Tetragonia expansa) 

This annual herb is not related to the ordinary spinach, 
and forms an excellent substitute for it during hot weather, 
when spinach will not thrive. It may be grown in tropical 
countries, and stands sun and drought. It forms a good 
green pot-herb in summer. Sow the seed in a well pre- 
pared cold frame about January first and protect the bed 
during cool weather. When the plants have reached a 
height of one or two inches in the seed-bed, they may be 
transplanted to the field, placing them in rows about 3 
feet apart and about one foot apart in the row. These 
plants are likely to continue to grow throughout the sum- 
mer and into the late fall. Another sowing may be made 
in the late spring or early summer in similar beds, pro- 
tected from the sun by means of cheesecloth. The 
plants can then be set out in September and make a fair 
growth before the cool weather of the fall retards further 
development. 

basella {Basella rubra) 

This annual or biennial tropical herb has a vigorous 
growth and is a good pot-herb and also an excellent salad. 



Other Vegetables 289 

It is usually grown from seeds, and being a twiner may be 
supported on a low trellis. There are several varieties 
from India, China, and Japan. The best kind is said to 
be grown from cuttings. This vegetable has been well 
recommended in several tropical and subtropical countries. 

edible jute (Corchorus olitorius var. edulis) 

This large tropical annual is much grown in Egypt and 
India for the use of its tender shoots and leaves as a pot- 
herb. The young leaves are also eaten in salads. It is 
ready in forty to fifty days (Egypt), and may be cut twice. 
It is one of the garden vegetables that should be grown in 
tropical lands where green vegetables are often scarce. 

edible amaranth (Amaranthus oleraceus, A. gangeticus, 
and A. viridis) 

Several forms of amaranth are cultivated as pot-herbs 
in India, China, and tropical countries. The young shoots 
are used in the place of asparagus. The best kinds 
seem worthy of a place in the tropical vegetable-garden. 

para cress (Spilanthes oleracea) 

This tropical composite hardly takes the place of a 
cress. It is a creeping yellow-flowered annual. Its 
leaves are used for a pungent medicinal salad, which, pre- 
sumably from some narcotic quality, is often eaten in 
tropical countries as a remedy against toothache. The 
true watercress can usually be grown in tropical mountain 
streams. 



290 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus) 

There are several varieties of this tropical legume. 
It may grow for several years, forming a tall woody shrub ; 
but is perhaps best cultivated as an annual. It is half- 
hardy, grows vigorously even if neglected, and yields 
a heavy crop. Its unripe peas are eaten in tropical 
countries to replace English peas, to which they are 
not so much inferior. It seems a promising plant to 
use as a starting point for improvement as a tropical 
garden pea. 

sword beans and jack beans (Canavalia) 

Some kinds of this tropical legume are worth cultivating. 
One (C. gladiata) is a perennial climber in India, where it is 
said to be the finest of all the native vegetables. The 
young pods, sliced and boiled, are little if anything in- 
ferior to French beans, and are extensively used by 
Europeans in India. The young pods of the Jack bean, 
when less than six inches long, are used as string beans, 
in Japan, Demerara, and elsewhere. 

Chinese cabbage {Brassica Pe-tsai) 

This relative of the cabbage has been recommended as 
a substitute for the latter in hot climates. In Louisiana it 
is used in salads instead of the cabbage, and somewhat 
resembles a large lettuce. In two or three months, 
plants have been obtained weighing more than six pounds. 
It may be grown in tropical countries, especially on the 
mountains, and is much cultivated in Indo-China. 



Other Vegetables 291 

Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea) 

This is a good pot-herb which can be grown in hot 
climates. There are several varieties cultivated in 
Japan, and the plant is also grown in India and in other 
tropical countries. The half-pungent flavor is very 
agreeable. The Chinese mustard should be sown in rows 
14 to 18 inches apart. The soil must be well prepared, 
a light sandy loam being preferred. Sow the seed the same 
as for ordinary mustard ; give same culture as for turnips 
or radishes. It is prepared for food in the same way as 
ordinary mustard. 

roquette (Eruca sativa) 

Roquette is a cruciferous annual whose young leaves 
are used in salads or as a pot-herb. The flavor somewhat 
resembles horse-radish. The vegetable is grown in 
France and Egypt. Seed of roquette may be obtained 
from some of the seedsmen in southern United States. 
The first seeding should be early in the spring. Treat in 
about the same way as for turnips or mustard, sowing the 
seed in shallow drills about one foot apart. The soil 
should be rich and well supplied with moisture. If dry 
weather occurs it may be necessary to irrigate. With the 
approach of warm summer weather, the plants are likely to 
run to seed. For fall greens, sow late in the summer or 
early in the fall. 

west india cucumber (Cucumis Anguria) 

This small prickly cucumber or gherkin grows well in 
tropical countries, where it is difficult to grow other cu- 



292 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

cumbers. It is usually eaten cooked or pickled. The vine 
of this plant resembles the watermelon vine to a consider- 
able degree and may be mistaken for it. This plant can 
be grown as a curiosity, or allowed to grow wild, and in 
some places has become established as a weed. The fruits 
are usually one or two inches long and more or less prickly, 
though some tend to be quite smooth. It is supposed to 
be a native of the American tropics. Not much attention 
has been given to its cultivation. 

ginger (Zingiber officinale) 

This plant can be grown successfully in most sub- 
tropical gardens, as in south Florida, and up to elevations 
of several thousand feet in tropical countries. In India 
it is usually planted just before the rainy season, small 
pieces of the rhizomes being set in rich soil one foot apart 
each way. The ginger is ripe at the end of the year. 
When grown for a preserve, the youngest tubers only are 
taken, peeled, and preserved in cold sirup. 

dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale) 

This plant forms a favorite salad, and the large-leaved 
garden varieties are the better for being blanched. The 
Improved Thick-Leaved has done well in Cuba and 
Porto Rico. 

asparagus bean (Dolichos, or Vigna, sesquipedalis) 

This bean is grown in China and South America, 
and its long pods are eaten as snap beans. It is a pole 



Other Vegetables 293 

bean with few-seeded pods two or three feet or more 
long. It has been long grown in the tropics and there 
developed to its greatest perfection. Numerous attempts 
have been made to introduce it into the cooler regions, but 
it has not proven as successful there as in the subtropical 
regions, although the vegetable has been produced as far 
north as New York state. 

Planting and general treatment should be about the 
same as in the case of cowpeas. A longer time is usually 
required for the vegetable to mature. The succulent green 
pods make a desirable vegetable when prepared like snap 
beans or cowpeas. The dried beans are also used at times 
for food. A considerable number of variations in this species 



occur. 



HYACINTH BEAN (DolicJlOS Ldblab) 



This is a climbing bean, the young pods being eaten 
as string beans. There are several varieties. It is much 
grown within the tropics, especially in India. Some of 
the varieties generally known under this name are drought 
resistant, thus forming a favorite vegetable in regions 
where it is difficult to produce cowpeas and the legumes 
belonging to this group. Owing to the fact that it has 
been long in cultivation, it has led to so many varieties 
that the name may be applied to a variety of plants. 

The general cultural methods employed for cowpeas or 
string beans will be found useful for this crop and methods 
of preparation for the table are the same. In the cooler 
temperate regions this plant is often grown for ornamental 
purposes, being attractive because of its splendid racemes 
of flowers. 



294 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

snake gourd (Trichosanthes Anguina) 

This plant bears a cucumber-like fruit, three feet or 
more in length. It is eaten sliced and cooked in India 
and China. This should be planted and treated very- 
much the same as the gourd. 

tree tomato (Cyphomandra betaeea) 

This relative of the tomato grows into a shrub. It 
fruits in the second season from seed, and bears its egg- 
shaped fruits abundantly most of the year. They taste 
somewhat like tomatoes, and are eaten raw with salt or 
sugar, and in salads ; or used for pastries, jellies, and pre- 
serves. An analysis in Java showed about 4 per cent 
of sugar in the pulp. This plant grows in subtropical 
countries and does best on the hills in the tropics. It is 
grown from seeds or cuttings, and may be a promising 
subject for improvement. 

chard (Beta vulgaris var.) 

This is a vegetable closely related to the garden beet, but 
has a small woody root, and large, white, thick leaf stalks 
and mid-ribs, which are the parts cooked for use, though 
the leaf-blades may also be eaten. The plant is easy of 
cultivation and yields well in Cuba and Porto Rico. It is 
a useful vegetable for the subtropical and tropical garden. 

pepino (Solanum muricatum) 

Pepino is a seedless vegetable, propagated by suckers 
and cuttings. It bears in a few months striped fruits 



Other Vegetables 295 

which taste something like cantaloupes, and are four to six 
inches long. It will stand a little frost and sprouts up next 
year from the root. The fruit, which is a product of culti- 
vation in Peru, will grow well in subtropical countries, 
and on tropical mountains, and is said to ship well. The 
plant itself bears a remote resemblance to the eggplant. 
The bush is not as sturdy a grower, or as hardy in the 
northern regions. It has fruited as far north as New 
Jersey but produces only a very small crop. In the tropics 
it needs special care. It should be given the same atten- 
tion as eggplant in the preparation of the soil and culti- 
vation. Owing to the fact that seed is not produced, 
there is some difficulty in getting a start with pepino. 
Cuttings root readily in a moist loam but should be pro- 
tected from the sun. Make the cuttings in the summer. 

wax gourd {Benincasa cerifera) 

The wax gourd or China preserving melon is grown in 
China and in many subtropical and tropical countries. 
Its fruits are about a foot long, with small seeds, and are 
cooked like a summer squash, or preserved in sirup. This 
plant may be cultivated like a muskmelon or allowed to 
grow up a trellis. In India the seed is sown in the rainy 
season. The fruit matures in about four months. It is 
well worth growing in a tropical garden for making pre- 
serves or sweet pickles. 



PLANTING - LIST OF VEGETABLES BY 
MONTHS 

The following list is a suggestion to those in Florida who 
desire to know what vegetables may prove successful under 
average conditions if planted in the different months. 

NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA 

January 

Asparagus seed, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage seed and plants, Cauli- 
flower seed, Collards, Eggplant seed, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard, 
Onion sets, Radishes, Rape, Spanish Onion seed, Tomato seed, 
Turnips. 

February 

Asparagus seed, Adam's Early Corn, Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cab- 
bage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Collards, Cucumbers, Eggplant 
seed, English Peas, Irish Potatoes, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, 
Parsley, Parsnips, Pepper seed, Rutabagas, Salsify, Spinach, 
Windsor Beans. 

March 

Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cauliflower, 
Collards, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, Early Corn, Eggplants, English 
Peas, Irish Potatoes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Okra, Onions, 
Parsley, Parsnip, Pepper, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, 
Salsify, Squash, Sugar Corn, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watermelons. 
296 



List of Vegetables by Months 297 

April 

Beans, Cantaloupes, Collards, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, Eggplant, 
English Peas, Irish Potatoes, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Okra, Onion 
plants, Parsley, Parsnip, Peppers, Pumpkins, Radishes, Ruta- 
bagas, Squash, Sugar Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, 
Watermelons. 

May 

Beans, Butter Beans, Cantaloupes, Collards, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, 
Eggplant, Okra, Peppers, Pumpkin, Squash, Sugar Corn, Sweet 
Potatoes, Tomato plants and seed, Watermelons. 

June 

Butter Beans, Cabbage seed, Cauliflower seed, Celery seed, Cowpeas, 
Eggplant, Peppers, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Water- 
melons. 

July 

Cabbage seed, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower seed, Celery seed, Cowpeas, 
Eggplant, Parsley, Peppers, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Squash, Sweet 
Potatoes, Tomato plants and seed, Watermelons. 

August 

Beans, Beets, Cabbage seed, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower seed, Carrots, 
Cowpeas, Cress, Cucumbers, Collards, Eggplant, Irish Potatoes, 
Kale, Kohlrabi, Okra, Onions, Parsnip, Peppers, Pumpkin, 
Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, Salsify, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes, 
Turnips, Windsor Beans. 

September 

Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower plants, Celery 
plants, Collards, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, English Peas, Irish 
Potatoes, Kale, Leeks, Mustard, Onion sets, Parsnip, Radishes, 
Rape, Rutabagas, Salsify, Spinach, Squash, Turnips. 



298 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

October 

Beets, Bermuda Onion sets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, 
Cauliflower plants, Celery plants, Collards, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce 
seed and plants, Mustard, Onion sets, Parsnip, Radishes, Rape, 
Spinach, Turnips. 

November 

Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage seed and plants, Carrots, Collards, 
Kale, Lettuce, Mustard, Onion sets, Parsnip, Radishes, Rape, 
Spinach, Turnips. 

December 

Cabbage plants and seed, Collards, Leeks, Lettuce plants and seed, 
Mustard, Onions, Radishes, Rape. 

TAMPA AND SOUTHWARD 

January 

Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage seed and plants, Cauliflower 
seed, Collards, Eggplant seed, Irish Potatoes, Kale, Kohlrabi, 
Lettuce, Mustard, Radishes, Rape, Spanish Onion seed, Spinach, 
Tomato seed, Turnips. 

February 

Adam's Early Corn, Beets, Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, 
Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Eggplant seed, Irish Potatoes, 
Kale, Lettuce, Okra, Onions, Pepper seed, Spinach, Squash, 
Windsor Beans. 

March 

Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cauliflower, 
Cowpeas, Cucumbers, Early Corn, Eggplants, Irish Potatoes, 
Lettuce, Mustard, Okra, Onions, Pepper, Pumpkin, Radishes, 
Squash, Sugar Corn, Tomatoes, Watermelons. 



List of Vegetables by Months 299 

April 

Beans, Collards, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Okra, 
Onion plants, Peppers, Pumpkins, Radishes, Squash, Sugar Corn, 
Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes. 



May 

Beans, Butter Beans, Cowpeas, Eggplant, Okra, Peppers, Pumpkin, 
Squash, Sugar Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes. 



June 

Butter Beans, Cabbage seed, Celery seed, Cowpeas, Eggplant seed, 
Peppers, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Tomato plants and seed, 
Watermelon. 

July 

Cabbage seed, Cantaloupes, Celery seed, Cowpeas, Eggplant and 
seed, Peppers, Pumpkin, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Tomato plants 
and seed, Watermelons. 

August 

Beans (Snap), Cabbage seed, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower seed, Carrots, 
Cowpeas, Collards, Cucumbers, Eggplant, English Peas, Irish 
Potatoes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mustard, Onions, Peppers, 
Pumpkin, Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, Spinach, Squash, Swiss 
Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Windsor Beans. 



September 

Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage plants and seed, Carrots, Collards, 
Cowpeas, Cucumbers, English Peas, Irish Potatoes, Kale, Let- 
tuce, Mustard, Onion sets, Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, Spinach, 
Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnips. 



300 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 

October 

Beets, Bermuda Onion seed, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage plants and 
seed, Carrots, Collards, Kale, Lettuce seed and plants, Mustard, 
Onion sets, Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, Spinach, Swiss Chard, 
Turnips. 

November 

Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage seed and plants, Carrots, Collards, 
Kale, Lettuce, Mustard, Onion sets, Radishes, Rape, Rutabagas, 
Spinach, Swiss Chard, Turnips. 

December 

Cabbage plants and seed, Collards, Lettuce plants and seed, Mustard, 
Onion sets and plants, Radishes, Rape, Spanish Onion seed, 
Swiss Chard. 



INDEX 



Acidity, how to test soils for, 20. 
Acidity of Florida soils, 20. 
Acid phosphate, 11. 
Amaranth, edible, 289. 
Amaranthus gangeticus, 289. 
Amaranthus oleraceus, 289. 
Amaranthus viridis, 289. 
Ammonia (see nitrogen, 7). 
Ammoniacal solution of copper 

carbonate, 75. 
Amount, formula, how to compute, 

13. 
Arachis hypogcea, 242. 
Arracacia esculenta, 287. 
Arsenate of lead, 67. 
Arsenite of zinc, 68. 
Artichoke, globe, 132. 
Artichoke, Jerusalem, 261. 
Ashes, cottonseed hull, 10. 
Ashes, saw palmetto, 11. 
Ashes, wood, 11. 
Asparagus, 124. 
Asparagus bean, 291. 
Asparagus, blanching, 129. 
Asparagus, bulletins on, 131. 
Asparagus, bunching and crating, 

128. 
Asparagus, canning, 130. 
Asparagus, cutting, 127. 
Asparagus, enemies of, 130. 
Asparagus, fertilizer for, 126. 
Asparagus, marketing, 128. 
Asparagus, planting, 127. 
Asparagus, preparation of plot, 125. 
Asparagus, seed per acre, 45. 
Asparagus, varieties of, 131. 



Bait, poison, 72. 
Barbarea, 123. 



Basella, 288. 

Basella rubra, 288. 

Basic slag, 11. 

Bean, asparagus, 291. 

Bean, broad, 234. 

Bean, goa, 288. 

Bean, hyacinth, 292. 

Bean, Jack, 290. 

Beans, 225. 

Beans, bulletins on, 233. 

Beans, bush, 226. 

Beans, bush, fertilizer for, 226. 

Beans, bush, green snaps, 230. 

Beans, bush, harvesting, 229. 

Beans, bush, kidney green shell, 
231. 

Beans, bush, planting and cul- 
tivating, 227. 

Beans, bush, preparing for market, 
228. 

Beans, bush, soils for, 226. 

Beans, bush sorts, seed per acre, 
45. 

Beans, bush, varieties of, 230. 

Beans, bush, yellow snaps, 230. 

Beans, enemies of, 233. 

Beans, lima, 232. 

Beans, lima, Carolina or small- 
seeded, 232. 

Beans, lima, culture, 232. 

Beans, lima, large-seeded, 232. 

Beans, lima, varieties, 232. 

Beans, pole, 230. 

Beans, pole, green shell, 231. 

Beans, pole, green snaps, 231. 

Beans, pole sorts, seed per acre, 45. 

Beans, pole, varieties of, 231. 

Beans, pole, yellow snaps, 231. 

Bean spray, 71. 



301 



302 



Index 



Beans, runner, 232. 

Beans, runner, varieties, 233. 

Bean, sword, 290. 

Beds, seed and plant, 58. 

Beet, 271. 

Beet, fertilizer for, 272. 

Beet, marketing, 273. 

Beet, seeding and cultivating, 272. 

Beet, seed per acre, 45. 

Beet, soil and preparation, 271. 

Beet, varieties of, 274. 

Belladonna 177. 

Benincasa cerifera, 293. 

Beta vulgaris, 292. 

Bisulfide of carbon, 72. 

Blood, dried, 10. 

Bone meal, 11. 

Bone phosphate, 9. 

Bordeaux mixture, 73. 

Borecole, kale or, 87. 

Brassica juncea, 290. 

Brassica Pe-tsai, 290. 

Bread-fruit, 220. 

Broad bean, 234. 

Broccoli, 95. 

Brussels sprouts, 87. 

Bulbs, edible, vegetables with, 134. 

Cabbage, 81. 

Cabbage, bulletins on, 86. 
Cabbage, Chinese, 290. 
Cabbage, enemies of, 86. 
Cabbage, fertilizers for, 84. 
Cabbage, marketing, 85. 
Cabbage, planting and cultivating, 

84. 
Cabbage, preparing for market, 85. 
Cabbage, seed bed, 82. 
Cabbage, seed per acre, 45. 
Cabbage, soils for, 83. 
Cabbage, sowing seed of, 82. 
Cabbage, varieties of, 86. 
Cajanus indicus, 289. 
Calathea Alluia, 285. 
Canavalia gladiata, 290. 
Canna, mentioned, 285. 



Cantaloupes, 151. 

Cantaloupes, bulletins on, 154. 

Cantaloupes, enemies of, 154. 

Cantaloupes, fertilizer for, 152. 

Cantaloupes, marketing, 153. 

Cantaloupes, planting and cul- 
tivating, 153. 

Cantaloupes, saving the seed, 153. 

Cantaloupes (see muskmelon), 45. 

Cantaloupes, soil and preparation, 
152. 

Cantaloupes, varieties of, 154. 

Carbon bisulfide, 72. 

Carrot, 274. 

Carrot, fertilizer for, 275. 

Carrot, marketing, 276. 

Carrot, soil and preparation, 275. 

Carrot, sowing and cultivation of, 
276. 

Carrot, varieties of, 276. 

Cassava, 283. 

Cassava, bitter, 284. 

Cassava, bulletins, 285. 

Cassava, propagation, 284. 

Cassava, sweet, 284. 

Cauliflower, 89. 

Cauliflower, books and bulletins 
on, 95. 

Cauliflower, crating heads, 93. 

Cauliflower, cultivation of, 93. 

Cauliflower, cutting, 93. 

Cauliflower, enemies of, 95. 

Cauliflower, preparation of land for, 
91. 

Cauliflower, seed per acre, 45. 

Cauliflower, seed production, 94. 

Cauliflower, setting out plants, 92. 

Cauliflower, soil and fertilizer for, 
92. 

Cauliflower, sowing seed of, 90. 

Cauliflower, varieties of, 94. 

Celery, 109. 

Celery, blanching, 116. 

Celery, bulletins on, 119. 

Celery, cultivation of, 115. 

Celery diseases, 118. 



Index 



303 



Celery, distance of planting, 114. 
Celery, fertilizer for, 111. 
Celery, irrigation of, 116. 
Celery, overhead irrigation, 117. 
Celery, preparation of soil for, 

110. 
Celery, preparing for market, 118. 
Celery, seed per acre, 45. 
Celery, seed-sowing, 112. 
Celery, soil for, 109. 
Celery, sub-irrigation, 117. 
Celery, transplanting, 113. 
Celery, varieties of, 119. 
Chard, 292. 
Chayote, 174. 
Chayote, bulletin, 176. 
Chayote, methods of handling, 175. 
Chenopodium Quinoa, 286. 
Cherry, ground, 117. 
Chicory, 119. 

Chicory, cultivation of, 120. 
Chinese cabbage, 290. 
Chinese mustard, 290. 
Chive, 149. 
Citrullus, 151. 
Clay, 2. 
Clay loam, 2. 
Clay, strong, 2. 
Coldframes, construction, 52. 
Coldframes, selection and location, 

52. 
Cole crops, 81. 
Collards, 88. 

Collards, seed per acre, 45. 
Colocasia antiquorum, var. esculen- 

tum, 279. 
Composition of soils, 3. 
Compost, 25. 

Compost, how to prepare, 25. 
Continuous cropping, 30. 
Copper carbonate, ammoniacal 

solution of, 75. 
Corchorus olitorius var. edulis, 288. 
Corn (sweet), seed per acre, 45. 
Cottonseed hull ashes, 10. 
Cottonseed meal, 10. 



Cover-crops, rotation of legumes 
used for, 31. 

Cowpea, 235. 

Cowpea, bulletin on, 235. 

Cress, 122. 

Cress, cultivation of, 123. 

Cress, garden, 123. 

Cress, para, 289. 

Cress, upland, 123. 

Cress, water, 123. 

Cucumber field, soil and prepara- 
tion of, 163. 

Cucumbers, 160. 

Cucumbers, cultivation, 165. 

Cucumbers, fertilizer for, 164. 

Cucumbers, picking and packing, 
166. 

Cucumbers, protection from frost, 
162. 

Cucumbers, seed per acre, 45. 

Cucumbers, seed saving, 167. 

Cucumbers, varieties, 169. 

Cucumber, West India, 291. 

Cucumis, 151. 

Cucumis Anguria, 291. 

Cucurbita maxima, 169. 

Cucurbita moschata, 169. 

Cucurbita Pepo, 169. 

Cucurbits, 151. 

Cyanamid, 10. 

Cynara Scolymus, 132. 

Cyphomandra betacea, 292. 

Dandelion, 291. 

Dasheen, 279. 

Dasheen, bulletins, 281. 

Dasheen, planting, 280. 

Dasheen, uses of, 281. 

Deterioration of seed in tropics, 50. 

Dioscorea, 262. 

Diseases, and pests, 66. 

Dolichos Lablab, 292. 

Dolichos sesquipedalis, 291. 

Drain, tile, 40. 

Dried blood, 10. 

Dry materials, machines for, 76. 



304 



Index 



Edible amaranth, 289. 

Edible jute, 288. 

Eggplant, 195. 

Eggplant, cultivation of, 200. 

Eggplant, fertilizer for, 199. 

Eggplant, gathering, 201. 

Eggplant, hotbeds and coldframes 

for, 196. 
Eggplant, marketing, 201. 
Eggplant, seed per acre, 45. 
Eggplant, seed saving, 201. 
Eggplant, soil and preparation, 199. 
Eggplant, using flower pots, 197. 
Eggplant, varieties of, 203. 
Emulsion, kerosene, 68. 
Endive, 106. 
Eruca sativa, 290. 

Fertilizer, complete, 6. 

Fertilizer elements, percentage of, 

10. 
Fertilizer formulae tentative, 7. 
Fertilizer, how to test a field for, 

21. 
Fertilizer, incomplete, 6. 
Fertilizer table for making up 

formulae, 16. 
Fertilizers, 5. 
Fertilizers, mixing, 11. 
Fertilizing elements deficient, 5. 
Fish-oil soap, 69. 
Fish scrap, 9. 
Fish scraps, 10. 
Florida soils, acidity of, 20. 
Formalin, 72. 
Formula, how to compute amount, 

12. 
Formulae compared, 14. 
Fungicides, 73. 

Garlic, 150. 

Gaseous insecticides, 72. 

Ginger, 291. 

Globe artichoke, 132. 

Goa bean, 288. 

Goober, 242. 



Gourd, snake, 292. 
Gourd, wax, 293. 
Ground limestone, 18. 
Guano, 10, 11. 
Gumbo, 215. 

Helianthus tuber osus, 261. 

Henbane, 177. 

Hibiscus Sabdariffa, 209. 

High grade fertilizer cheaper, 15. 

Honest packing, 80. 

Horse-radish, 283. 

Hotbeds, 55. 

House, packing, 78. 

Hull ashes, cottonseed, 10. 

Humus, 1. 

Hyacinth bean, 292. 

Hydraulic ram, 35. 

Insecticides, contact, 68. 
Insecticides, gaseous, 72. 
Insecticides, poisonous, 67. 
Irish potato, 244. 
Irrigation, 36. 
Irrigation, overhead, 37. 
Irrigation, sub-, 40. 
Irrigation, surface, 40. 

Jack bean, 290. 
Jerusalem artichoke, 261. 
Jimson-weed, 177. 
Jute, edible, 288. 

Kainit, 10. 

Kale or borecole, 87. 

Kerosene emulsion, 68. 

Kohlrabi, 97. 

Kohlrabi, soil and preparation, 97. 

Kohlrabi, varieties of, 98. 

Land becomes poor, why, 4. 
Land, clearing, 61. 
Land, plowing, 61. 
Land, preparation of, 59. 
Land, "tired," 4. 
Land, well drained, 60. 



Index 



305 



Lead arsenate, 67. 

Leek, 147. 

Leek, preparation for market, 148. 

Leek, transplanting, 148. 

Legumes used as cover crops, 
rotation of, 31. 

Leguminous plants, 222. 

Lepidium, 122. 

Lettuce, 99. 

Lettuce, bulletins on, 106. 

Lettuce, cultivation of, 102. 

Lettuce, diseases of, 105. 

Lettuce, fertilizer for, 102. 

Lettuce, field preparation for, 102. 

Lettuce, irrigation for, 103. 

Lettuce, marketing, 104. 

Lettuce, seed-bed for, 100. 

Lettuce, seed per acre, 45. 

Lettuce, seed raising, 104. 

Lettuce, setting out, 101. 

Lettuce, varieties of, 105. 

Lima beans, 232. 

Lime, 18. 

Lime, nitrate of, 10. 

Limestone, coarse ground pre- 
ferred, 19. 

Limestone, ground, 18. 

Lime sulfur solution, 70. 

Lime sulfur solution, commercial, 
70. 

Liquids, machines for, 76. 

Lleren, 285. 

Loam, 2. 

Machines for dry materials, 76. 
Machines for liquids, 76. 
Machines, how to test, 43. 
Machines, spraying, 75. 
Magnesia, sulfate of potash and, 

11. 
Manures, fertilizer ingredients, 24. 
Manures for vegetable gardening, 

24. 
Maranta, mentioned, 285. 
Marketing, 78. 
Marl, 3. 



Meal, bone, 11. 

Meal, cottonseed, 10. 

Melon (musk), seed per acre, 45. 

Melon pawpaw, 217. 

Melon, water, 155. 

Melon (water), seed per acre, 45. 

Miscible oils, 71. 

Mixture, bordeaux, 73. 

Muck, 28. 

Muck, composition of, 3. 

Muck, good, 10. 

Muck soils acid, 20. 

Muskmelon (see cantaloupe), 151- 

154. 
Mustard, Chinese, 290. 

New Zealand spinach, 288. 
Nicotianas, 177. 
Nitrate, materials used for, 10. 
Nitrate of lime, 10. 
Nitrate of soda, 10. 
Nitrogen, cheapest, 8. 
Nitrogen, forms of, 7. 
Nitrogen gathering plants, 32. 
Nitrogen, plants as a source of, 31. 
Nitrogen, sources of, 7. 
Nitrogen, substances used as 
sources of, 7. 

Oils, miscible, 71. 

Okra, 215. 

Okra, bulletin on, 216. 

Okra, seed per acre, 45. 

Onion crop, curing the, 143. 

Onion-growing, large scale method 

of, 142. 
Onions, 134. 

Onions, bulletins on, 146. 
Onions, costs in growing, 146. 
Onions, crating, 144. 
Onions, cultivation of, 141. 
Onion seed, time to sow, 137. 
Onion sets, quantity per acre, 45. 
Onions, fertilizer for, 135. 
Onions, how to set out, 140. 
Onions, raising from sets, 144. 



306 



Ind ex 



Onions, seed-bed for, 137. 
Onions, seed per acre, 45. 
Onions, setting out, 138. 
Onions, soil for, 135. 
Onions, transplanting, 139. 
Onions, varieties, 144. 
Overhead irrigation, 37. 
Oyster plant, 279. 

Pachyrhizus erosus, 287. 

Pachyrhizus tuberosus, 287. 

Packing, honest, 80. 

Packing-house, the, 78. 

Papaya, 217. 

Papaya, distance to plant, 219. 

Papaya, from seed, 218. 

Papaya, grafting, 218. 

Papaya, irrigation, 219. 

Para cress, 289. 

Paris green, 67. 

Parsley, 121. 

Parsley, planting, 121. 

Parsley, varieties of, 122. 

Parsnip, 277. 

Parsnip, fertilizer for, 277. 

Parsnip, soil and preparation, 277. 

Parsnip, sowing and cultivation, 

278. 
Parsnip, varieties, 278. 
Pawpaw melon, 217. 
Peanut, 236. 
Peanut, cleaning, 241. 
Peanut, cultivation, 239. 
Peanut, fertilizer, 237. 
Peanut, grading, 241. 
Peanut, harvesting, 240. 
Peanut, literature on, 242. 
Peanut, planting, 237. 
Peanut, soil and preparation, 236. 
Peanut, varieties of, 242. 
Pea, pigeon, 289. 
Peas, 222. 

Peas (cow) , seed per acre, 45. 
Peas, enemies of, 224. 
Peas (English), seed per acre, 45. 
Peas, fertilizer for, 223. 



Peas, soil and cultivation, 223. 

Peas, varieties of, 224. 

Peat, 28. 

Pepino, 293. 

Peppers, 204. 

Peppers, cultivation of, 207. 

Peppers, fertilizer for, 207. 

Peppers, hotbeds and coldframes 

for, 205. 
Peppers, marketing, 207. 
Peppers, seed per acre, 45. 
Peppers, seed saving, 208. 
Peppers, soil and preparation for, 

206. 
Peppers, varieties of, 208. 
Pests and diseases, 66. 
Petunia, 177. 
Phosphate, bone, 9. 
Phosphate from fish, 9. 
Phosphate rock, 8. 
Phosphate, Thomas, 11. 
Phosphoric acid, materials used for, 

11. 
Phosphoric acid, sources of, 8 
Pigeon pea, 289. 
Plantain, 216. 

Plant-beds, seed-beds and, 58. 
Plant growth, elements necessary 

for, 3, 5. 
Planting, 52. 

Plants, acre, number of, 65. 
Plants as a source of nitrogen, 31. 
Plant-sheds, 57. 
Plants, how to select, 46. 
Plants, number per acre (table), 

64. 
Plants transmit tendency to disease, 

46. 
Poison bait, 72. 
Poisonous insecticides, 67. 
Potash, materials used for, 10. 
Potash, muriate of, 10. 
Potash, nitrate of, 10. 
Potash, sources of, 9. 
Potash, sulfate of, and magnesia, 

11. 



Index 



307 



Potash, sulfate of (high grade), 11. 
Potato, Irish, 244. 
Potato, Irish, bulletins, 253. 
Potato, Irish, cultivation of, 249. 
Potato, Irish, diseases of, 253. 
Potato, Irish, fertilizer for, 246. 
Potato, Irish, harvesting, 250. 
Potato, Irish, planting, 248. 
Potato, Irish, second crop of, 252. 
Potato, Irish, seed, 247. 
Potatoes (Irish), seed per acre, 45. 
Potato, Irish, soil and preparation 

for, 245. 
Potato, Irish, storing, 251. 
Potato, Irish, varieties of, 252. 
Potato, sweet, 254. 
Potato, sweet, bulletins, 260. 
Potato, sweet, cultivation, 257. 
Potato, sweet, enemies of, 259. 
Potato, sweet, fertilizer, 255. 
Potato, sweet, marketing, 259. 
Potato, sweet, preparation of land 

for and transplanting, 256. 
Potato, sweet, propagation of, 255. 
Potato, sweet, soil for, 254. 
Potato, sweet, storing, 258. 
Potato, sweet, varieties of, 260. 
Psophocarpus letragonolobus, 288. 
Pumping plant, 38. 

Quantity of seed for one acre 
(table) , 45. 

Radicula, 123. 

Radish, 264. 

Radish, comparison of varieties 

(table), 268. 
Radish, fertilizer for, 265. 
Radish, horse, 283. 
Radish, marketing, 266. 
Radish, seed per acre, 45. 
Radish, seed raising, 267. 
Radish, soil and preparation, 264. 
Radish, sowing and cultivation, 

265. 
Radish, varieties of, 267. 



Ram, hydraulic, 35. 

Rock phosphate, 8, 11. 

Rolliza, 282. 

Roquette, 290. 

Roselle, 209. 

Roselle, bulletin on, 214. 

Roselle, cultivation of, 211. 

Roselle, diseases of, 214. 

Roselle, gathering, 212. 

Roselle, productivity, 213. 

Roselle, propagation, 210. 

Roselle, shipping, 212. 

Roselle, uses of, 213. 

Roselle, varieties of, 214. 

Rotation of crops in vegetable 

gardening, 29. 
Rotation of legumes used as cover 

crops, 31. 
Rutabaga, 270. 

Salsify, 279. 

Salsify, seed per acre, 45. 

Sand, light, 2. 

Sandy loam, 2. 

Saw palmetto ashes, 11. 

Sechium edule, 175. 

Seed-beds and plant-beds, 58. 

Seed-control laboratories, 48. 

Seed for one acre, quantity of 

(table), 45. 
Seed growing, 46. 
Seed, in tropics, deterioration of, 

50. 
Seed, nearly all-important, 47. 
Seed, quantity to sow, 44. 
Seeds and seed-sowing, 43. 
Seed-storing, 49. 
Seed testing, 48. 
Shallot, 149. 
Sheds, plant, 57. 
Slag, basic, 11. 
Slag, Thomas, 8. 
Snake gourd, 292. 
Soap, fish-oil, 69. 
Soap, whale-oil, 69. 
Soda-sulfur spray, 69. 



308 



Index 



Soft phosphate, 11. 

Soil acidity, how to test for, 20. 

Soil, calcareous, 3. 

Soil, marly, 3. 

Soils, acidity of Florida, 20. 

Soils, composition of, 3. 

Soils, for vegetable gardening in 

warm countries, 1. 
Soils, mechanical classification of, 

2. 
Solanaceous plants, 177. 
Solarium muricatum, 293. 
Solution, lime sulfur, 70. 
Spilanthes oleracea, 289. 
Spinach, 107. 
Spinach, marketing, 108. 
Spinach, seed per acre, 45. 
Spinach, varieties of, 108. 
Spray, bean, 71. 
Spray, soda-sulfur, 69. 
Spray, tobacco-sulfur, 69. 
Spraying machines, 75. 
Sprouts, Brussels, 87. 
Squash, 169. 

Squash, choosing soil for, 170. 
Squash, cultivating, 173. 
Squash, fertilizer for, 170. 
Squash, marketing, 173. 
Squash planting, 172. 
Squash (summer), seed per acre, 

45. 
Squash, varieties, 174. 
Squash (winter), seed per acre, 45. 
Strawberry tomato, 177. 
Sub-irrigation, 40. 
Sub-irrigation, depth of tile, 40. 
Sulfate of ammonia, 10. 
Sulfate of potash and magnesia, 11. 
Sulfate of potash (high grade), 11. 
Superphosphate, 8. 
Surface irrigation, 40. 
Swedish turnip, 270. 
Sweet corn, 242. 
Sweet corn, varieties of, 243. 
Sweet potato, 254. 
Sword bean, 290. 



Tanier, 281. 

Tanier, bulletin, 282. 

Tanier, propagation, 282. 

Tankage, 10, 11. 

Taraxacum officinale, 291. 

Taro, 279. 

Tetragonia expansa, 288. 

Thomas phosphate, 11. 

Thomas slag, 8. 

Tile, drain, 40. 

Tobacco, 177. 

Tobacco stems, 10, 11. 

Tobacco-sulfur spray, 69. 

Tomato, 177. 

Tomato, cultivation, 185. 

Tomato, fertilizer, 182. 

Tomato, packing-house, 189. 

Tomato, picking, 188. 

Tomato plants, setting out, 184. 

Tomato, preparing the field, 182. 

Tomato seed, 179. 

Tomato seed-beds, 180. 

Tomato, seed per acre, 45. 

Tomato, soil for, 181. 

Tomato, strawberry, 177. 

Tomato, tree, 292. 

Tomato, trellising, 188. 

Tomato vines, pruning, 186. 

Tomatoes, canning, 192. 

Tomatoes, enemies of in Florida, 193. 

Tomatoes in the tropics, 178. 

Tomatoes, literature on, 195. 

Tomatoes, saving seed, 191. 

Tomatoes, sorting, 190. 

Tomatoes, staking, 187. 

Tomatoes, summer and fall crop, 

191. 
Tomatoes, varieties of, 194. 
Transplanting, 62. 
Tree tomato, 292. 
Trichosanthes Anguina, 292. 
Tropical seeds, 50. 
Turnip, 268. 
Turnip, marketing, 270. 
Turnip, planting and cultivating, 

269. 



Index 



309 



Turnip, soil and preparation, 269. 
Turnips, seed per acre, 45. 
Turnip, varieties of, 270. 

Ullucus tuberosus, 296. 
Upland cress, 123. 

Varieties, choosing the, 44. 
Vegetable gardening, rotation of 

crops in, 29. 
Vegetables with edible bulbs, 134. 
Vegetables with edible fruits, 151, 

177, 209. 
Vegetables with edible leaves or 

stems, 81, 99. 
Vegetables with edible seeds, 222. 
Vegetables with edible tubers or 

roots, 244. 
Vicia Faba, 234. 
Vigna, 291. 
Voandzeia subterranea, 242. 

Water, 35. 
Water-cress, 123. 
Watering, 35. 
Watermelon, 155. 

Watermelon, bulletins and papers 
on, 160. 



Watermelon, cultivating, 157. 
Watermelon, diseases and insects 

of, 159. 
Watermelon, fertilizer for, 155. 
Watermelon, marketing, 158. 
Watermelon, planting, 156. 
Watermelon, saving seed, 158. 
Watermelon, varieties of, 159. 
Wax gourd, 293. 
Weeds, 32. 
Weeds, sources of plant diseases, 

32. 
West India cucumber, 291. 
Whale-oil soap, 69. 
Windmills, 36. 
Wood ashes, 11. 

Xanthosoma, 281. 

Yam, 262. 

Yam-bean, 287. 
Yam, kinds, 263. 
Yam, preparation, 262. 
Yam, propagation, 263. 
Yam (sweet potato), 260. 

Zinc arsenite, 68. 
Zingiber officinale, 291. 



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Corn Crops 1 60 

Piper, Charles V. 

Forage Plants and Their Culture 1 75 

Warren, G. F. 

Elements of Agriculture 1 10 

Warren, G. F. 

Farm Management 1 75 

Wheeler, H. J. 

Manures and Fertilizers 1 60 

White, Edward A. 

Principles of Floriculture 1 75 

Widtsoe, John A. 

Principles of Irrigation Practice 1 75 



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